Wishful Thinking and Thoughtful Wishing
by Paxa.Romana
Summary: A highschool senior stuck with an unborn baby she doesn't want, Gabriella begins to think her life is over. But soon a memory she calls Troy Bolton comes back into her world and shows her when life gives you lemons, you can make apple juice.
1. Anything You Can Love, I Can Love Better

Wishful Thinking and Thoughtful Wishing

A Fanfic by Desireé Lemmon

Setting: Albuquerque, New Mexico, January 2008

Disclaimer: Do I own HSM? Shocking, but no. It belongs to director and producers and all that jazz. I'm just a writer. :)

A/N: Thanks guys if you read and/or reviewed for Poster Child. It's revision should be up quickly following Wishful; I was just unhappy with its writing. Anyway, enjoy this! -love- Desireé

Chapter One, Anything You Can Love, I Can Love Better

The tale of giving birth to a child was excruciatingly painful, but the afterwards was supposed to be the best part. That was what her mother always told her. After all the pain, all the tears, everything would cease and a rush of happiness would flow through you. The child, in a fit of tears, would be the most beautiful thing to you. The first glance would be the first feeling of love.

How desperately she wanted to love this child. It was growing inside her, and while some people saw it as a bacteria or a virus, she thought of it as a blessing. No, it wasn't purposely done. The form of life was purely accidental, never once had she expected the pregnancy stick to turn blue. But she knew if she was destined to have a child at the age of eighteen, then so be it.

Others, however, did not see it as simple as this. Her family was embarrassed; no one at school spoke to her. Not even the baby's father. What a wimp, she thought when he first looked at her with disgust. Can't own up to something as beautiful as new life. Wimp. A few people asked questions and stuck their noses in places where they didn't belong. Cathy Rainer had flat out asked in home economics if she was going to go for adoption or not. "No," was the thoughtful response, "I don't think I'll go for adoption."

Her parents, though, decided the baby would be better off with new people, a couple who would love it. She protested, claiming she could love it just as they would. But this wasn't true, and she knew it at heart. There would be no rush of happiness and gush of love when the baby would be born—it would only be relief that the agony was over. And then would come to part of goodbye. She would carry this baby around for nine months, feeding it all day and all night, but there would be no introduction when it actually entered the world. Perhaps a glance, maybe even a minute to admire its innocence, but eventually, the nurse would take it elsewhere, seeing the whole thing as just another teenage mother's baby who would go to another couple unable to have children themselves. She didn't want to be just another teenage mother.

"But you are," her mother shot bitterly when this came up at dinner. She was three months along now, and only slightly showing. It was a wonder she had no morning sickness in the first trimester—she took this as a sign of hope. The birth would be easy, too, she decided, just like the pregnancy. "You are just another teenage mother, ending up with a child you don't deserve."

It was unfair, she thought, that people could be so judgmental. No one knew who the father was, and if they did, pandemonium would ensue at East High. She knew he wouldn't want word to get around, and she felt the same way. If East High had a magazine, this story would be all over it blaring the headline, "Scandal." And every student would pick up a copy, trying to assemble as much information as possible. People could thrive off others' misfortune.

Misfortune was a harsh word, especially to describe something as miraculous as a baby. She knew there were a million women who would swim across an ocean just to have one, and for a moment, she felt guilty and ungrateful. As much as she wanted to love this baby, she also hated it. Every time she ate for two, she felt disgusted with herself. Each time her feet hurt or her back ached, a small flare of anger blazed in her heart. This baby had turned her friends away, and she was left alone in a very, very big world.

There was one person who would call once in a while, and that was Kelsi, just to check up on her. The pregnancy never came up, though they easily worked around it with topics like the weather and that night's homework. But one afternoon, Kelsi stepped into unfamiliar territory. "Are you going to name it?" she asked, her voice soft and subtle.

This wasn't a shock, but instead a relief to the mother-to-be. No one addressed her situation unless they had to, and the only one obligated to do so was her mother or, occasionally, her father. The woman always rolled her eyes or commented sarcastically, and the man would just sigh and pat his daughter's shoulder. She wished Kelsi was there beside her, absorbing all the sadness and angst with her. "I don't know," she admitted, brushing away a tear. "I—I think it's going to be born a little after graduation, so I won't have to worry about school. Not like I'm going to get into a college anyway."

"Don't say that!" Kelsi said abruptly. She heard a little intake of breath from the person on the other end of the line. "Ella, don't say that. You're beautiful, you're talented, you've got more brains than anyone I've ever met, and you have a sense of self-awareness. I know you are the best person to handle a situation like this."

Anger welled up inside the pregnant teenager. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, her voice lined with suspicion. "I suppose if Sharpay was stuck with an unborn baby, she'd be a mess and everyone would rush to help her."

"No!" Kelsi said, her voice beginning to lose confidence. "No, Ella, I meant that you are so..." She wanted to say 'motherly' but that didn't sound right. She swallowed, trying to finish her sentence before her friend got any angrier. "You're so smart," she finally finished lamely.

There was a very small part of the soon to be teenaged mom that wanted to shout at Kelsi and tell her she couldn't do this alone, yet somehow she ended up without a soul around. She wanted to scream who the father was, and she wanted the gossip to spread. But she, like always, didn't. "Well, thank you," she said softly. "I have to go, some chores to finish. See you later." And with that, she hung up.

No one was there to see to it that she, a young woman with a baby on the way, would get through this. At that moment, she felt that if she dropped dead in the street gutter, no one would care. No one would rush to her side and ask if she was okay, or call an ambulance. People had left her to spoil like old take-out from last week, stuck in the back of the refrigerator. No one wanted the old food, and maybe, they thought, it would be better off rotting away in solitude. "How silly people can be," Gabriella said bitterly. "So silly."

It was the weekend, when any normal teenager would be out with friends. Instead, though, she was stuck, home alone on a Saturday night. Gabriella glanced at the phone again, wondering why she ended her phone call with Kelsi, the only friend she had now. The loneliness she had experienced many times before seemed to be so obvious at the moment. Her parents were both out of the house, at some family function on the other side of town. No one in the Montez Family Tree knew about Gabriella's baby yet. Theresa firmly meant to keep it this way. "We don't need more drama," she had said before she draped her coat around her arm and closed the front door behind her.

Nothing on the TV guide intrigued Gabriella enough to select the channel. Eventually, she turned the television off and wandered upstairs. Her balcony was cleared, seldom used in the wintertime. There was a slight warmth to it, though, as she stepped outside, seeing the tree branches of the grand oak in the backyard cascade down around her.

It was a fact that she was on her own. Maybe at one point, she could have saved herself and gotten everyone to forgive her. She knew Kelsi was being nice during every phone call, and she grew paranoid: maybe they whispered behind her back. Everything she had said earlier was all transferred to the rest of the group. At school, she would see everyone, hoping to get a word or two out. But they would all shake their heads, uninterested in what she had to say. The hurt was overwhelming, but Gabriella did her best to pretend she was fine. Pretend her life wasn't over.

_"Slut," she hissed to Gabriella. They stood in the cafeteria of East High, on the day before school let out for winter vacation. "You're a slut, and you'll always be." Sharpay folded her arms triumphantly and turned to walk away, followed by her Sharpettes. From a distance, Taylor glared at her, Martha and Kelsi nervously watching on. Zeke Baylor and Jason Cross were muttering to each other, stealing glances from the pregnant teen every once in a while. Even Ryan, who she had once come to befriend, had deserted her. Sometimes they would lock eyes and he would look sad, almost rueful. Perhaps he felt sorry for cutting off all communication with her, perhaps he was embarrassed by his sister's foul mouth and nasty habit of gossip. But despite his contriteness, Ryan was just another student at East High: he feigned ignorance of Gabriella's presence, avoiding her looks of plea. She couldn't find herself to blame him: you had to choose your place in life. Surely no one could cross the line to come to her side. They remained safe on the side of 'Normality' and she kept to herself on the 'Outcast' side._


	2. The Angel

A/N: Wow, thanks guys for all the reviews! I really appreciate them. -love- Desireé

4GetYesterday- Fish, fish, got your wish. :)

Chapter Two, The Angel

People stared in school like she was a fish out of water, but averted their gazes whenever she caught them looking. Even Taylor, the one girl she had called her best friend, glanced away when they made eye contact. Gabriella hated Taylor for abandoning her. It wasn't her fault that stupid boy knocked her up. Was it? "No, it's not," she reassured herself firmly in the mirror. She glanced at her stomach—four months behind her, five months ahead. Suddenly, she had the urge to know if the baby was going to be a boy or a girl. And with that urge, another came—to give it a name.

"What?" Her mother, Theresa, sputtered and looked like she had been hit in the head with a brick when her daughter told her she wanted to name it. "Gabriella, you don't name a baby you aren't going to keep."

Silence. Gabriella stared at the ground, and Theresa gasped. "Don't tell me—you want to keep it?" she gasped, dropping her glass of cranberry juice onto the couch. A blood red stain formed on the middle cushion.

"Mom," the pregnant teenager began, her eyes burning with tears. "Please, just hear me out. I can't stand the thought of abandoning this child with other people. I'm the one who is carrying it around for an entire nine months. It should stay with me! And it's going to be born after graduation, so I won't have to worry about school." She still didn't believe she would get into a college.

Theresa clicked her tongue. "Oh, Gabriella" was all she said, patting her daughter's cheek and standing up to disappear down the hallway. Gabriella heard the bedroom door close and she finally released her tears, letting them saunter down her cheeks and fall into her lap. They stained her cargo pants—the only things that comfortably fit her now—and left three dark circles on the velvety green fabric. Drip, drip, drop.

The next day was Monday, and Gabriella hated Mondays. They reminded her she had four more days to go, and they never passed soon enough. By the third period, she felt a hand grasp her wrist and pull her into the quiet library, which was the ideal gab spot considering the new librarian, Ms. Mullins, didn't pay attention to any talking students. "Have you told?" His voice was icy and his breath was cold against her face, like he had chugged a bottle of Listerine.

"No, you dope," she snapped, backing up against a book shelf. "I didn't, so don't get your panties in a bunch." Chad narrowed his eyebrows and Gabriella shrugged.

"Well... Taylor just broke up with me," he told her, frowning as if it was all her fault. "She said I knew why."

"I didn't tell her, and I haven't told anyone else, so maybe she's just really smart. I would think you'd know that, but then again, maybe that's why she broke up with you. Your attention span is of a hamster's and any time the focus is on her, it's never admiration or complimentary," Gabriella said. Chad didn't say anything as he stared at a row of encyclopedias.

"What are we going to do, Gabriella?" His voice had softened, but she sensed no warmth. He didn't want to be asking this question.

Hands on her hips, she cocked her head at him. "I don't know what you're going to do, but I'm going to be trying to get through the next four months. Don't worry, Mr. Danforth, you won't have to hold up your end of the deal. It was your sperm, but I suppose I can play house wife and take care of the baby myself," she sighed and moved past him before he could utter another word.

The classroom's cold air felt good against her hot skin. It was January, but most people wore shorts and t-shirts, as opposed to her sweatshirts and cargos. Mr. Freedman smiled politely at her as she walked past, and her face flared with embarrassment. She could stand the rumors and the gossip of the students, but she hated the thought of what the teachers talked about in the privacy of their lounge. Ms. Darbus smirked slightly when Gabriella's stomach first began to expand, but said nothing more, only leaving a feeling of humiliation to rest inside the student.

History was one of Gabriella's favorite classes, but she couldn't seem to focus as Mr. Freedman went over the homework from the night before. Two seats away, there he sat, Troy Bolton, the golden boy. She still loved him, a little over a year they had first met at East High. Twelve months had gone by so quickly, but every day she didn't go without thinking about him. Once or twice he had appeared in her dreams, smiling that platinum smile that made her heart swoon. It made her wonder why she ever slept with Chad.

At the time, he hadn't been seeing Taylor. They had broken up for a moment, when she decided he thought basketball was more important than she was. Only days after their subtle parting, Gabriella had ended up sitting next to Chad at Serena Seeley's party, talking to him like they were old friends. Outside, he kissed her, and she kissed him back, all while she thought of Troy. Then, somehow, she ended up in his car. Disgusting. Her first time, in a car, with a guy she didn't like. Disgusting.

And as she slid her dress back on, the cool silk against her hot, sweaty skin, she remembered glancing at him. "This won't go unpunished," she said, and he nodded indolently, staring at the window as he started the car and began the drive home.

Mr. Freedman called her name. "Ms. Montez," he began. She didn't reply. "Ms. Montez!" Gabriella blinked and turned to look up at him. Someone snickered, and a chorus of giggles began. She thought she saw Troy give her a sympathetic glance out of the corner of her eye, but the history teacher interrupted her thoughts again after shushing the other students. "Care to join us, Ms. Montez?"

"Yes, sir," she murmured quietly. The man nodded and turned back to the white board, writing the rest of his lesson for the day. She stole glances from Troy once in a while, taking in his dark hair and bright blue eyes. Gabriella shocked herself by wishing for a moment that she was carrying his baby. She still loved him, but she couldn't actually—could she?

After class, she shuffled to her locker, her books resting on the expanding curve that had formed below her breasts. She really _was_ pregnant.

"Hey," a voice said. She turned to see Kelsi, and forced a smile. Gabriella liked the occasional company, but she wasn't sure she could handle any delicate or broken conversations that tried to stay as comfortable as possible. "How are you?"

"Fine," Gabriella replied coolly, entering her locker's combination. The door swung forward and she dropped her books in, wincing at the loud bang they made against the metal. "Just fine." She paused, searching her purse for her car keys and the note her mother had written that morning. In neat cursive, Theresa explained Gabriella had a 'doctor's appointment and if she could be excused, that would be great.' The gingerly written letter felt odd in Gabriella's hand, but she supposed it was only because of its subject content.

"You going somewhere?" Kelsi asked.

"Yes," Gabriella replied, not bothering to elaborate. She closed her locker and made her way for the office, leaving the only friend she had behind. It wasn't as if Kelsi was by herself, too; she was just the only one nice enough to check up on the mother-to-be once in a while. That was over now.

Ms. Byrd, the office secretary, took the note and glanced over it carelessly. "You may go," she said, handing a permission pass to Gabriella for her windshield. The student took the slip of paper and walked outside, her bag around her shoulder as footsteps grew louder behind her.

The sound of Taylor's voice was odd, as Gabriella never spoke to her anymore. "Gabriella," the girl was breathless as she caught up with her. "Where are you going?"

Pink flushed in Gabriella's cheeks. "Oh, um, the doctor's…" she replied, feeling the goodness she rememebered in their friendship fade away.

"Oh," Taylor said. "Well, have fun. I guess." She made a face and walked away, as if nothing had happened. What a talent! Something as intense as a pregnancy could happen and Taylor could make it seem like she couldn't care less. Gabriella was no certain there was no friends left for her now. She was all alone.

As she walked outside, she watched the ground, seeing her shadow appear as her back met the sun. Her Mini Cooper was in the nearest corner, parked at the edge of the row. She began for it, but a voice interrupted. "Need a ride?" Like the angel in _It's a Wonderful Life_, Troy Bolton appeared before her, keys in his hand. She wished silently that the happiness in her face wasn't as evident as it always was, and then maybe she could claim for once that she wasn't completely in love with him.


	3. I Think I Can, I Think I Can

A/N: Ahh, thanks for the reviews, guys! I wouldn't call Chad out of character, as redemption is rewarded to several in this story of screw-ups, but most of his positive features have been, well… _Erased_. For now at least. All in good time, children! -love- Desireé

Chapter Three, I Think I Can, I Think I Can

The million dollar smile that made girls hearts beat wildly had the exact same affect on Gabriella. She bit her lower lip, feeling her cheeks swirl with heat. "Oh, well, I was just going to the doctor's, you probably don't want to…" Her voice dropped to a whisper and she stared at the ground. He grinned and stuck his hands in his pockets, leaning against the metal railing of the front steps.

"I don't mind. I've got a study period and Phys Ed next, so I managed to get the afternoon free to myself. You looked pretty down today, anyway. I thought you'd want some company," he offered, his eyes twinkling with blue. She felt her heart flicker with affection.

"Well, it's about the whole pregnancy… Thing. It might be awkward," she said, trying to swallow her humiliation and at least _seem_ normal to him. "The eighteen-week check up. And I've got my Mini anyway, so I don't want to be a bother." She held up her keys meekly, dangling them long enough to hear a faint jingle. He shrugged and glanced back at the shiny black Bolton Range Rover parked a few feet away.

The soothing sound of his voice made her blush. "Well, I thought you'd want some company. Last chance," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just thinking… After 'Twinkle Towne' we kind of grew apart. And I didn't actually _want_ to." The sadness in his words gathered tears in her eyes, but she blinked to force them away.

"You'd really go with me to the doctor's?" she asked, sounding genuinely surprised. She wondered what Chad would think. Troy, like everyone else, had no idea who the father of the baby was; Gabriella could only imagine what he would say if he found out his best friend had impregnated a girl, let alone one that _wasn't_ his girlfriend.

A wholesome laugh came from his throat. "Sure," he said with a happy nod. "Come on. At the clinic in town, right?" She nodded and he opened the shotgun door for her. A grateful smile decorated her face and she pulled the seatbelt across her stomach, her wrist brushing up against the tight skin. At that moment, she felt like the farthest thing from beautiful. She was a pregnant eighteen-year-old, and that wasn't beautiful to anyone.

The car ride was pretty quiet for the first ten minutes. Eventually, Troy pressed the radio button and Star 98.7 came on, the old James Blunt song of 'You're Beautiful' blasting through the radio, as if to just crush Gabriella's self esteem into a cube of cheese. And not the good Swiss cheese, the gross old cheddar cheese that, when left alone, developed spots of blue and green. Ugh. The singer's high voice was harsh on her sensitive ears, and Troy noticed her flinch as subtly as she could. He reached and turned the volume knob to the left, making her lips curl up into another smile. She wished she could remember having someone around who was so nice.

"Are you all right?" he asked at a stop light. She raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean…" His voice dropped to a low murmur as he continued, "With everything going on at school. There's some stuff that people are saying, it's kind of going around—"

"What stuff?" she asked sharply, her eyes narrowed to small, brown slits.

He was beginning to panic. "Not stuff, just—I mean there's some—it's gossip, Gabriella. Rumors and speculation about who the… Who the father is. And what you're going to do with the… With the baby. And what this will do to your…"

"Future," she finished with a sigh. A dark undertone lie in her voice. "I don't really know what this will do to me. But right now, I don't have any answers for the rumors. I never will have answers," she said softly. They finally parked outside the clinic, the doctor's office that Mrs. Montez had recommended resentfully to her daughter. Troy paused and turned to look at Gabriella.

"Ready?" he asked, brushing off his worn brown leather jacket. It's zipper was broken and a bleach stain spotted the left sleeve, but she remembered how he always loved the article of clothing, no matter what it went through. She wondered if, had they ever been a couple, he could love her no matter what _they_ went through.

"Yes," she replied, exhaling a long, stiff breath. He walked around the front of the car to open her door, and she thanked him quietly. In the elevator, her heart began to race, beating as fast a hummingbird's would. She surprised him by grabbing his hand, not meeting his startled glance as she stared, determined, at the panel of floor buttons. "I can do this," she murmured assertively.

With a squeeze of her hand, he nodded. "Of course you can," he replied, watching the steel doors open. They were met by a cold, still air in the hallway, painted blue with a navy carpet and bright, white lights, the kind that the FBI blared over your head when you were getting investigated for a federal offense, or perhaps detention if you were serving for Ms. Darbus. Gabriella gulped, feeling her eyes water again.

"I can't do this," she said, beginning to tremble. She couldn't walk—the doors began to close, but Troy reached out and stopped them.

"Yes, you can, Gabriella," he said, pulling her along slightly. "Come on, you're strong. You've always been strong. And… I know after 'Twinkle Towne' we didn't talk much, we went our own ways, but hear me out: in spite of anything and everything that has happened between or around us, I'm here for you as your friend, okay?" I want you to be more than a friend, she sobbed silently.

Her lower lip quivered as if she was about to cry. "Troy," she said, pressing her tongue to the roof of her mouth in an effort to fight back tears. "It was a mistake for you to come. I'm sorry, you don't have to go through this with me. I should be here with _him_, the father, not you." He looked slightly hurt at this. "I mean—you don't have to listen to me moan and groan. You didn't get yourself into this, you shouldn't have to have a burden on your shoulders."

Compassion blazed in his eyes as he took her other hand in his and pulled her into the hallway. Her whole body was swallowed with a pine fragrance, like someone lay car fresheners all around the rooms. "Listen to me, Gabriella," Troy said firmly, holding her stare with a warmth she realized she missed; not only in him, but in anyone. "I know you can think of a million more people who you'd want to be here over me. I know you and I grew apart after that Winter Musi-cale—" he purposefully pronounced 'musical' like Ms. Darbus did and she couldn't help but laugh "—but I want to be able to help you now, if not anything else. I know you can do this, and you know you know you can do this."

The words were magical, tickling every inch of her skin. Every syllable was pixie dust, showering upon her and uplifting her as she tried to think of happy thoughts. The first thing in her head happened to be the karaoke party at that snow lodge on New Year's Eve a year before. The way their voices mixed together, singing the lyrics as one. The small, but meaningful conversation they shared afterwards and the way they looked at one another during the New Year's countdown. That was the happy thought that let her fly. "Okay," she agreed, nodding, "I can do this."

"Yes you can," he said, smiling at her. "Now, come on. What's the room number?"

"30B," she answered. "Dr. Newman." She finally found the nameplate, in gold lettering like it was the city limits sign to Atlantis. Gabriella wished she had a universal remote that could fast forward time. The next few hours were not happily anticipated.

A bubbly-looking girl sat at a desk, cracking her gum and scribbling something on a notepad. "Hi, um, I'm here for the one o'clock appointment?" Gabriella asked. "With Dr. Newman." The girl nodded, standing up and disappearing for a moment. She re-emerged soon and nodded at the wooden door beside her desk.

"Dr. Newman can see you now," she said. Troy began to follow Gabriella and the girl stopped them. "Visitors?"

"Family," Troy replied, smiling sweetly as he held Gabriella's hand. It felt warm in hers and she suddenly gained the courage to keep walking, through the wooden and beyond the secretary's desk.

Dr. Newman was a kindly-looking woman, tall with long caramel-colored hair and chandelier earrings. She held a clipboard and wore a white jacket that went down to her thighs, and beneath that a skirt. Troy politely excused himself against the wall and Gabriella nervously smiled. "Hi, there," she said quietly.

"Montez, Gabriella?" Dr. Newman asked. "Glad to finally meet you. Your mother called me last week… She explained the situation. I'm very pleased to have you here; many teenage mothers are afraid of medical attention and stay away from the doctor's office." Her eyes moved to Troy. "Is this your… Boyfriend?"

A soft smile spread across Troy's face. "I'm her company for today," he replied, sending Gabriella a quick grin of support.

"Lucky girl," Dr. Newman said. "Most mothers under twenty-three that come here don't have the fathers as well."

Gabriella panicked, wanting Troy to be as comfortable as possible. "Oh—"

Troy shrugged and smiled again. "I don't think it's right to abandon your own situation. If I'm a part of it, then I'm going to take part." Technically, this wasn't a lie. Gabriella sent him a small glance of appreciation and turned back to the doctor.

"Okay, what's first?" she asked. Dr. Newman pointed to the chair sitting in the center of the room and wrote something down on her clipboard.

"Well, since this is your first official check up, there's a lot more going on them usually. The eighteen-week ultrasound usually shows the sex of the baby, and checks heart rate and blood pressure and the normal things like that." She smiled cheerfully and turned to Troy. "Were you looking forward to a boy or a girl?"

As if weighing his options, Troy cocked his head to one side. "I thought it would be nice to have a boy," he finally said. "But a girl would be cool, too."

Gabriella smiled. She knew Chad would never even consider coming to the doctor's with her. Dr. Newman grinned and leaned her patient back, lifting her shirt so a part of Gabriella's stomach was revealed. She suddenly felt self conscience about stretch marks, or scars, but Troy didn't seem to notice. He only walked over, taking a seat beside her, her hand in his.

A black and white image came on the screen nearby, and Gabriella couldn't bring herself to watch it. She held her breath as Dr. Newman held a stick covered in cool gel to her stomach. Troy smiled at her and squeezed her fingers, and gratitude filled her body. She couldn't have asked for better company that afternoon.

A small gasp came from Dr. Newman's mouth, and Gabriella glanced at her. "What?" she asked, still forestalling her first look at the screen. "Is something wrong with the baby?"

The doctor shook her head and turned to each teenager, taking the time to look at each of them in the eyes, before confessing the surprising truth: "You're having twins."

A/N: Oh, don't you just want to smack me for ending it there? Haha, sorry, I'm beginning to grow tired. And I never can write well with fatigue. So! We'll leave it at this until tomorrow.

On another note, I apologize for any false truths in here—I tried to research pregnancy week-by-week check ups, all that kind of stuff, and ask my mom a couple questions, but I feel like I might have a little exaggeration in the later part of this chapter. Please excuse! -love- Desireé


	4. Laughter, Approval, and Endearment

LizzieRokasGermain- Oh, I'm so glad you're liking the story. Think of it as the substitute teacher whilst Poster Child is out sick. :) Okay, bad analogy. Anyway…

polopopiinprepxx- Hm. I decided to fully explain Chad and Gabriella's predicament in this story. So, look out!

Chapter Four, Laughter, Approval, and Endearment

The surrealism of the scene was increasing rapidly. It seemed the room slanted sideways as the lights grew a fuzzy gray color, and Gabriella's hearing slowly died away. All she could hear was the pounding of her own heart, thumping inside her at a very abnormal rate. She thought she felt Troy's hand grow clammy, and turned to see the weak look of surprise on his face. Dr. Newman smiled tentatively as Gabriella asked feebly, "_Twins_?"

Nodding, the doctor looked at the ultrasound screen. Gabriella's eyes followed the trail of her gaze and saw, sure enough, two small indistinct figure of babies. Her throat closed up and her vision began to fade as her head gently rolled back and Troy repeatedly shouted her name.

_The house seemed to buzz with the drum of people filing in and out, yelling and hooting and laughing into the dark night hours. It was around eleven o'clock, and it seemed every teenager in town was at Serena Seeley's party. The girl was in senior class with Gabriella, and invited her to the party after the brainiac helped her with some English homework. Despite the flattering words, Gabriella was beginning to regret coming. She felt dizzy as she ambled around the living room, finally plopping down on the couch._

_"Well, look who's here," a voice said beside her. She turned and found herself face to face with Chad Danforth, one of the basketball teammates. "You lost, Gabi?"_

_"Haha, very funny," she replied with a fake smile. She glanced around, hoping to spot Taylor or Martha or Kelsi. But they weren't part of Serena's crowd, and therefore would be spending that Friday night elsewhere._

_"How you liking the DJ's picks?" Chad asked. In the corner, a DJ stood, mixing tracks for the next round of songs. Currently, Kanye West's hot new song 'Stronger' was blaring and people were moving their bodies to the rhythm of the lyrics. "I think they're okay."_

_"I've heard better," Gabriella sighed, finally giving up her search for familiarity. The only other people she had recognized here were the Evans twins, and, despite her friendship with Ryan, she knew she couldn't be with him while Sharpay was around. It just didn't work that way._

_A grin spread on Chad's face. "Hey, you want to dance?" he suggested, looking up at the crowd of frolicking students. Gabriella rolled her eyes._

_"Thanks, but I think you should be dancing with your girlfriend," Gabriella said._

_Confusion reigned Chad's eyes. "Didn't she tell you?" he asked, and Gabriella shook her head. "We broke up."_

_Oh, Gabriella thought. She did remember Taylor mentioning some 'break' she and Chad were taking. It seemed both sides of the relationship had different views on their newfound separation. "Hm," she finally said, a bored tone in her voice._

_"So?" Chad asked. Gabriella raised an eyebrow at him. "You wanna dance or what?"_

_She rolled her eyes. "I don't dance, Danforth," she answered, standing up and brushing off her jeans. She could feel him follow her into the next room, which appeared to be the entertainment center, stocked with a pool table, a fifty-two inch flat screen, and a prime suspect in the loud music: speakers twice her size._

_"Sure you do," Chad said as they made their way to the kitchen. Someone was chugging Kool-Aid, spiked with something, for sure, and a crowd had gathered around him, cheering for him to finish the jug in one breath. "Everyone dances at one point or another."_

_It was true Gabriella had done ballet throughout grade school, but she highly doubted Chad knew how to pirouette or even lift someone. "No, thanks," she said, finally coming outside to the garden area. Beyond the rows of the beautifully grown vegetables was a swing set. Gabriella collapsed into one swing and heard a second clank of chains. Chad was beside her._

_"You don't like me, do you?" he asked, grinning._

_"Chad," she began, hating herself suddenly for calling him by his first name. "I haven't the slightest idea who you even _are_. I mean, I met you a couple times during 'Twinkle Towne.' After that, I saw no reason to be around you anymore."_

_As if this was agreeable, Chad nodded and stared at the fence across from them. "Yeah, after you stopped hanging out with your boyfriend, Troy," he said, his voice lined with laughter._

_"He wasn't my boyfriend!" Gabriella snapped, reaching across to flick his shoulder. She was thankful it was dark out—that way, Chad couldn't see her blush._

_"Uh huh," he replied skeptically. Gabriella scoffed and resumed to her side of the swing set._

_Suddenly, Chad was laughing. Laughing so hard, he actually fell back, out of the swing, landing with a hard thump on the grass. Gabriella watched him, and she felt the giggles erupt inside her, wildly developing into full-blown hysteria. She had no idea why she laughing—nothing was funny! But she dropped to her knees, leaning into the ground with such amusement that it seemed nearly an hour before their chuckling stopped. She had come to crawl beside him, lying on her stomach and watching his face return to its normal state: foolishly happy. "Why are we laughing?" she asked, one more giggle coming from her lips._

_"You tell me," he responded, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the house. Now an old Matchbox Twenty song was playing, one she remembered liking. Chad smiled at the earth beneath them and she used the swing's seat to help pull herself up._

_"So, what ever happened to you and Troy?" Chad asked, bringing himself to stand. He sunk down in his respective swing again, one leg on each side so his back pressed into one of the chains and he faced her._

_She sighed wistfully. "I wish I knew," she admitted, scraping a whole in the lime green grass with the heel of her ballet flat. "But I don't think I really do. We just kind of… Went in the opposite directions. I kept thinking there had to be some way we would still be friends—you and Taylor, after all, stayed together all this time—but it just didn't seem to be in the cards. I stuck to Decathlons and he kept to the hoops." There was a longing in her voice, but she realized the gloominess that usually thrived on her words when she spoke about Troy was gone._

_Neither knew what time it was. Gabriella didn't have to worry about her curfew—she had hoped Taylor would be at the party, and thus explained she would sleep over at the McKessie house. "Where is Troy, anyway?" she asked, staring at the house again as if hoping he would appear._

_"I dunno. The whole team is here, I think. Except for the captain," Chad replied._

_Chewing on her lower lip, Gabriella nodded. "Well, I guess I better get going." She stood up, and Chad did, too._

_"So, I'll see you at school," he said, his hands in his pockets as she walked past him. But the way his voice called out her name, almost whispering it in the silent outside, "Gabriella," made her turn. And they kissed._

_Troy filled her thoughts. She wondered what would be running through his head if he watched this scene: probably, 'Chad and Gabriella? Okay, where's Sharpay? Apparently it's opposite day.' Something like that._

_Chad's hand took hers and he looked for agreement. She nodded, and they walked around the side of the house to his truck. They both got in, driving in silence to an empty street, curving along the hillside. It overlooked most of the city, bright with lights, and a bushel of trees made her feel private. He leaned over and kissed her again, before pulling back for a breath. His eyes searched her face, desperate for some sort of approval. Bracing herself, she pursed her lips and finally gave him a look of consent. And after that night, her life was very different, and in many more ways than one._

"Gabriella? Gabriella? Gabriella! Jeezus, Gabriella, please wake up." The same voice that had brought her to the doctor's clinic was ringing in her ears as she awoke. Her eyes slowly opened to see Troy hovering over her, his face creased with worry. "Oh god. I thought you were gone."

Dr. Newman was watching appreciatively, nearly in tears, from a few feet away. Gabriella opened her mouth to speak but Troy put his finger to her lips. He turned the doctor and said, "I think we will postpone the appointment. We have, um, some things to talk about." She nodded with such a happy smile that she couldn't find any words to respond. Troy simply pulled Gabriella off the chair and guided her out of the office, past the secretary and beyond the waiting room. In the hallway, Troy put his hands on Gabriella's shoulders and slowly bent his knees so his face was level with hers. He squinted his eyes, looking to see if her face was white or beads of sweat clung to her temples. "Are you all right?" he asked.

She thought about it. Was she all right? She was eighteen, pregnant, and carrying twins. Normally, this wouldn't be all right. But somehow, in Troy's care, she felt safe. "Yes, I'm… I'm okay," she said, reaching up to rub her forehead. "I… I have a lot ahead of me, don't I?"

He didn't say anything, just took her hand and lead her to the elevator, the ride down the ground floor silent. Troy opened the car door for Gabriella, and watched her buckle her seatbelt uncertainly, as if worried she would faint again. When she successfully secured herself, he walked around the front of the Range Rover and got into the driver's seat, sticking the keys in the ignition and pulling onto the road. "Troy," she began, and he glanced at her, "You don't know how much it means to me that you were there for me. If I had found out about the twins thing by myself—I probably would still be in that office, crying my eyes out."

A smile graced his face. "You can't expect yourself to alone, can you?" he asked. "I mean, I'd love to just kick the real father's ass for what he did to you—" Wouldn't we all? Gabriella thought "—but my parents are pretty strict on violence, so I thought accompanying you on an appointment would be better. You sure you're all right?"

She nodded. "I will be in a few hours. I think I'm just going to go home and sleep," she answered, wearily rubbing her face again. "It's been a long day."

The radio Troy selected played some smooth jazz the rest of the ride home. In front of the Montez house, Gabriella turned to smile at the boy she loved. "I still can't thank you enough," she told him earnestly. He shrugged again.

"Least I can do," he replied. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, and the three hearts inside Gabriella—hers and the babies' alike—fluttered with endearment. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

All she could do was nod as she got out of the car, slinging her bag around her shoulder. She watched him drive off, softly honking his horn as one last goodbye, before he turned the corner. Gabriella sighed blissfully as she walked up to the front door, sticking her keys in the lock and permitting herself inside. Her mother sat on the couch, watching Oprah, and barely said anything when her daughter reported the appointment went well. Gabriella had no intention of telling her mother anything about twins.

"I'm going up to my room," she concluded. Theresa shrugged and Gabriella carried herself up the stairs, collapsing onto her bed when she finally reached her bedroom. The comforter felt good and welcoming as she curled up among the pillows. Troy filled her mind again, the same smile he flashed to her just minutes earlier. It made her melt, gushing beneath her ceiling, staring up at it like the sky. Indeed, there were the old glow-in-the-dark star-shaped stickers on it, too reminiscent of her childhood to be abandoned at the old house. Gabriella wondered where her children would be in ten years and if they, like her, would have star stickers on their bedroom ceilings.


	5. Prince Charming to the Rescue

polopopiinprepxx- Oh, glad you're liking it. Chapters usually take me twenty-five to thirty-five minutes, depending on how I feel of the usual writing. What I do is after I finish each chapter, I go back and reread it, and I critique my writing. I'll make some adjustments and put in a few new paragraphs of sentences, give or take, and _voilá_! You have a chapter. Overall, it takes me about forty-five minutes.

PinkJelly- Aww, I'm very sorry you still want Poster Child. I promise it shall be better than ever and much smoother than before when it gets reposted. The idea came to me while I was getting out of the shower, I believe, and rushed to make it into a story. It deserves way more time and thought than I gave the first six chapters, so you shall definitely see an improvement when it comes around again.

Chapter Five, Prince Charming to the Rescue

Gossip was to a high school as fire was to a forest. It spread within minutes, every word, every flame, latching onto the next student, the next branch. Gabriella found herself getting the usual stares the next morning, with an extra side of scorn from a helping of students. In homeroom, she dropped her bags beside her desk and took a seat. The teacher was preparing for the next lesson, and clusters of people had formed in the room. Gabriella and a select few others were not in those clusters; she realized, just before the tardy bell rang, that Troy was part of that select few.

When they saw each other for the first time after class, he smiled. "How are you feeling?" he asked. She nodded and said she had seen better days, and he laughed. "We all have at one point or another." Soon the crowd began to swallow him up, and he waved goodbye. She smiled and flashed a flutter of fingers, feeling giddy for a moment. Until a certain ice queen's voice ruined it.

"Someone feels flirtatious, hm?" Sharpay asked, frowning. "I can speak on behalf of the entire East High student body when I say you don't have much of a license to be dabbling in Troy Bolton's love life." The skinny blonde had her hands on her hips, her weight shifted to one foot; Ryan stood behind her, hesitantly seeing what would go down between Gabriella and his sister.

It seemed a crowd had gathered around the drama queen and the pregnant brainiac (talk about your perfect oxymoron). Some students watched intently, others seemed entertained. Gabriella rolled her eyes and stepped to one side; Sharpay blocked her path. "Look, Sharpay," Gabriella said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not looking to pick a fight with you. I'd hope you have the same morality and just keep to your side of the hallway."

Clutching her sides, Sharpay burst out laughing, however forced the laugh was. "Morality?" she cried, her eyes wicked with amusement. "How can _you_—a pregnant teenager—talk to _me_ about _morality_?" Other people began to snicker, and Ryan bit his lower lip, staring at the ground. Gabriella silently begged him to come to her rescue, and she suddenly regretted letting Troy go in the opposite direction. It seemed that no one could help her now.

"Oh, Gabriella, Gabriella," Sharpay sighed with a grin, shaking her head. "So young and foolish. You honestly believe there are people here who still like you?" She snorted. "Ha! That's rich, just rich. Read my lips, Montez: _you're pregnant, and it's your own damn fault. No one cares. Not even pretty boy Bolton_." A few people in the audience gasped, and even Ryan looked shocked at this.

Tears welled in Gabriella's eyes before she felt hands on her shoulders. She expected Troy to be behind her, but she turned to come face to face with Chad. He didn't meet her glance, but the corner of his lip turned up in a half-smile, pointed in her direction. "God, for once, Sharpay, shut your trap and just let the rest of us enjoy our day. Your nasally voice is annoying already in all the school plays, so spare us the ache and keep quiet when you aren't hogging up the stage." Some people cheered, and the Sharpettes, who had materialized a few feet away, shot dirty looks in their direction.

The hype of the near catfight died away, and soon Gabriella found herself standing alone in the hallway with Chad. Despite her appreciation for his words to Sharpay, she also grew angry. "You didn't have to do that for me," she snarled, walking around him and toward her locker. Chad, confused, followed.

"Gabriella—" he began. She ignored him, entering the locker combination again. "I heard you went to the doctor's yesterday… But, with Troy." If Gabriella didn't know better, she could have sworn she heard envy in his voice.

"Chad Danforth, are you _jealous_?" she asked, her tone colorless and her face rid of all emotion.

"What?" he asked, slightly startled. "No! I—I'm not jealous! But, it's Troy, you are—"

"I'm late for class," Gabriella corrected him, closing her locker gently and turning on her heel to march proudly down the hall. Chad's jaw dropped slightly as he watched her turn the corner, nobly holding her books against her expanding stomach.

_In the locker room after basketball practice, Chad confronts Troy._

"Dude, Zeke told me you went to the doctor's office with Gabriella Montez yesterday," Chad said, slinging his duffle bag around his shoulder. Troy was tugging a fresh t-shirt over his head, and his expression had changed from normal to confused, like that magic trick when you moved your hand over your face, going from mad to sad.

"And?" Troy asked, running his fingers through his hair.

"And," Chad replied, "why? I mean—you guys completely lost connection after that stupid play you did—"

"'Twinkle Towne,'" Troy told him irritably. He and Chad still never saw eye to eye on his role as Arnold in the Winter Musical of their junior year, and the insults never failed to be annoying. "Yeah, we lost connection, and that was a mistake. A big mistake. How do you know I went with her anyway? We left during lunch."

It was a long list of people. Taylor, still skulking in the hallway, had told Kelsi, who told Jason, who told Zeke, who finally told Chad. Troy raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "Dude, she's pregnant and alone. That's pretty much the worst two words to put together as a combo. What was I supposed to do? Act like I wasn't there and neither was she?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Chad gritted his teeth. "No, I just—you guys aren't even friends anymore!" he said, chagrined. "Since when do you wait around and offer rides to knocked up girls—"

"What the hell is your problem, man?" Troy interrupted. "You're getting all uptight over Gabriella, who, last I remember, was not in your line of conversation interest. And for your information, you don't have to be friends with a person to do something nice for them."

They grimaced, staring at one another, before Jason broke the tension by pumping the air with his fist. "We so own the court!" he shouted. A few boys hollered and Zeke high-fived him. Chad blinked, turning to ruffle through his duffle bag and Troy shoved his sneakers on.

As people began to shuffle outside, Troy waited around for his father. He saw Chad head for the exit and called after him, "Hey, man!" Chad turned and swallowed as Troy caught up with him. "Why do you care about her, anyway? I know she's friends with Taylor and all, but you guys never really hung around." Now that he thought about it, neither had Chad and Taylor recently.

Slapping his forehead, Chad bit his lower lip. "I forgot to tell you Taylor broke up with me… I was actually going to tell you at lunch but you were gone," he added bitterly.

"Oh," Troy replied, grinding his teeth as he stared at the tile walls. "Well, sorry, dude. But that doesn't answer my question. Why are you so worked up about Gabriella?"

There was a hesitance in the way Chad opened his mouth to speak. "I—I'm not. I just was wondering what was up with you guys. You… You need to get yourself a girlfriend, man," he replied, clapping his friend on the back as a cover-up. Troy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and nodded, chewing on his lower lip.

"Oh, well, okay. Um, I'll look into that," he said, and Chad feigned a smile. "See you tomorrow, then."

Waving over his shoulder, Chad walked out of the locker room. "Yeah, see you."


	6. How to Feel Beautiful

YellyBelly- You read my mind!

Chapter Six, How to Feel Beautiful

The week seemed to fly by in comparison the recent, painfully slow months Gabriella had endured. Friday afternoon, she stood at her locker, pressing her face to the cool metal of the door. In her seventh period, science class, there had been some experiment spill caused by her baby bump. Many people sniggered, and she remembered feeling her cheeks heating intensely. Taylor, in the corner, was smirking slightly as Mr. Higgins, the teacher, hastily reassured everyone that all was well.

It was three-oh-eight when Gabriella felt her phone vibrate in her sweatshirt pocket. She flipped open the Razr and saw a text from Troy's number. Meet me in the front parking lot in 5 minutes. She didn't think to question him and simply replied OK before closing her locker, heading in the direction of the arranged spot to meet. He was leaning against the metal railing again, scrolling through something on his cell phone. Eventually, he looked up and his indigo eyes made her melt into the ground. "Hey," he said, standing up straight. "You doing anything this afternoon?"

People glared at them as they walked past, shooting death rays in their direction. While Gabriella struggled to ignore the heat of their stares, Troy didn't seem to notice them at all. His composure was undebatable, and it made her stutter. "Um, no, I-I don't think so—"

"Good," he replied, and suddenly his warm hand had enveloped hers, pulling her toward his Range Rover, parked a row of cars away. She giggled and asked where they were going. "I want you to meet someone." He opened the passenger door for her and she, perplexed, climbed in, sliding the seatbelt around her for the second time. He sat beside her, sticking the keys into the ignition and pulling the Rover out of the lot. They were on the road.

"_Where_ are we going?" she asked again, tugging on a loose strand of hair. She let it blow away through the crack of the open window, and Troy beamed.

"You'll see" was all his said.

They drove with only the sound of the jazz CD he had made for her smoothly wafting through the car. Gabriella felt herself finally relax, and she stole a quick glance from Troy. She had studied his profile many times before, the way his forehead was curved slightly, and the way his nose and lips had been perfectly created, like a sculpture carved by the gods. His eyelashes were long and golden, framing his perfectly blue eyes. She sighed joyously, and he turned, slightly tickled by the certain dreamy look on her face. A deep crimson soon covered the blissfulness, and she turned away, embarrassed. Troy smiled to himself as he finally pulled up into the driveway of the Bolton home.

Again, he opened the door for her and silently guided her up to the porch. Sliding his key in the lock, he turned it slowly and pressed down on the knob, letting them inside. Gabriella had forgotten what the Bolton residence looked like; it had been several months since she had been inside the house. It was a big home, with high ceilings and state-of-the-art everything. This was normally what she noticed at a first glance. This time, however, she saw something else: a peculiar-looking girl sitting on the couch, eating Cheeze Nips and watching some Rachel Ray special.

"April," Troy said softly. The girl looked up and smiled as she rose. She carried herself with such an incredible class that Gabriella couldn't help but stare at her for a moment. She was, to put it mildly, tall, so curiously tall. Her light brown hair was streaked with an aquamarine, cascading down to her shoulders. The same blue eyes that Troy had also shone brightly on her face, and her mouth was a soft pink, turned upwards in a smile. She extended a hand, and Gabriella reached out to shake it, slightly startled by the firm grip. Troy grinned and looked at both of them. "April, this is Gabriella, a girl from school. And Gabriella, this is April… My sister."

Slight confusion crept across Gabriella's face. She didn't remember Troy ever saying anything about a sister. Had they been less close than she thought? It seemed after 'Twinkle Towne' everything had been erased between them. Their lives went on as per usual, nothing out of the ordinary. "You have a sister?" she finally asked.

Before Troy could respond, April jumped in. "Oh, yeah, he probably hasn't mentioned me," she said, elbowing her brother's side. He winced slightly, and the blue-haired girl grinned. "I was in boarding school for the last four years… It's a long story, I guess. I kind of wrecked my parents' car at fifteen. But, here I am! Home again."

Gabriella couldn't help but grin as well. She had always thought Troy didn't seem like much of an only child—he was never spoiled (as compared to Sharpay, who actually had a sibling of her own) and always got along with most everyone. Now with April in the picture, things made more sense. "Well," she said. "Troy was really eager for me to meet you earlier today. Pretty much kidnapped me at school." Gabriella giggled and Troy pretended to be looking at a family photo on the wall, squinting at the craziness going on inside.

"That's my brother for you," April replied, clapping her hands together. Troy smiled modestly and took a seat on the couch. "You want something to eat? You must be starved. I don't know what East High's food's like, but the middle school's food was crap so it can't be much better." She headed for the kitchen and Gabriella followed, knowing at that moment, she was going to be friends with April Bolton.

_At the Evans home, Sharpay is having a four-way call with her Sharpettes._

Even the silk comforter on top of Sharpay's bed didn't seem to calm her like it usually did. She was aggravated, especially as she was so close to upsetting Gabriella that day. Another thing that irked her was her rescuer, _Chad_. "The basketball oaf couldn't possibly have any interest in her, could he? I've never seen them talking—" Her sentence stopped short and she gasped.

"What?" cried Sharpette #2, a mousy redhead whose name was something like Emmy or Ellie. "What is it, Sharpay?" The other Sharpettes cooed and joined the inquiry.

"What if Chad is the father?" Sharpay said. "I've seen them arguing before, but I never thought about it. He wouldn't be interested in her otherwise! He _must_ be the father!" She squealed and clapped to herself as the Sharpettes cheered respectfully.

"Oh, this is _so_ going to be spread around school on Monday," Sharpay hissed maliciously.

_Back at the Bolton home, Troy explains to April Gabriella's delicate situation._

"You need anything else?" April asked the house guest, who was contently sitting on the couch, holding a box of Wheat Thins and watching E! news. Gabriella smiled and shook her head with a small 'thank you' as the blue-haired girl turned and made her way into the kitchen, where her brother stood, nervously chewing on his fingernail. "Anxious, much?"

He looked up and she saw concern in his eyes. "Hey," April said softly, coming to lean against the counter beside him. "What's wrong?"

"It's Gabriella—" He spoke quietly. "Remember I told you about her over the phone last year? Every week, she would be the only thing I talked about."

April laughed, her eyes dancing with glee. "Of course I remember. Each Saturday afternoon, I would look forward to hearing about the love of your life." Troy halfheartedly smiled.

"Yeah, well, we kind of lost touch. I don't what happened, but it's like after the play, we barely talked to each other." He stared at the ground, and April cocked an eyebrow.

"Is there a particular reason you wanted me to meet her?" she asked. "Other than I practically know her already just from you talking about her…"

The refrigerator hum was the only thing in the kitchen for a moment. Troy wasn't sure if he could tell April just what mess Gabriella was currently in, but he felt she was the only one he could turn to. "S-she's pregnant," he murmured softly.

April rolled her eyes. "Boys are so stupid sometimes." Troy gaped at her in surprise. "Troy, all girls have this undeniable power of communication. Not to mention her stomach is pretty round." She shrugged and smiled. "So, what's this have to do with you?"

"I-it doesn't," Troy replied. "I mean, I went to the doctor's with her this week. She's having twins, they said, so she was sort of a wreck and everything. Most of the people at school have kind of abandoned her… And I thought she needed another friend, besides me. I can't really help her, can I? And you said it yourself. 'All girls have an undeniable power of communication.'"

Putting a hand on his shoulder, April smiled. "Little brother, keep this in mind. I'm going to assume you aren't the father—" Troy shook his head "—okay then. So evidently the father has abandoned her, too, and she doesn't have much family back up. If you're there for her, that probably means the world to her. You, truthfully, can be the only one to help her, but I'll do what I can." With that, she kissed his cheek and promenaded back to the living room.

Troy followed and took a seat next to her Gabriella, smiling softly. "There's really no use beating around the bush," April began, and her brother silently willed her not to be so forward, but to no avail as she finished, "You're pregnant with twins."

Smirking, Gabriella glanced at Troy. "You're a good secret keeper," she teased, and he blushed, looking down at the carpet.

"Okay, we got that out of the way," April said with a smile. "So what's the first thing that came to your mind when you found out?"

"Um, shit, fuck, damn it, my life has been shot to tell?" Gabriella guessed with a grin. April laughed and Troy couldn't help but smile. "In all honesty, I'd rather be pregnant ten years from now, maybe even later. There's a lot that's been going on that I don't think an eighteen-year-old can properly handle. Including an ultrasound, but I had some help there." She beamed at Troy and felt another rush of gratefulness towards him.

That Friday afternoon seemed to lift away all the weight on Gabriella's shoulders. It was getting darker by the second, and after rounds and rounds of crazy cravings (some including pasta shells filled with chocolate syrup and potato pancakes), she finally stood up to go home. April extended her arms for a hug and the pregnant teen willingly accepted. "Thank you so much," she whispered.

"Stop by anytime," April replied. "My parents are keeping my being here on the DL, so I probably won't have any visitors for the next few years." Troy rolled his eyes and got his keys for the drive to the Montez house.

In the Range Rover, Gabriella couldn't help but reach and turn the jazz off for a moment. Troy asked if anything was wrong, and she shook her head. "No, I was just thinking I'm really lucky to know you, and to meet April. I-I know you have a million other things going on, with basketball and college and everything, so it means a lot to me for you to hang around. Especially when Chad won't," she added under her breath.

"What?" he asked at a stop sign. Gabriella felt her body clench up in a panic and she shook her head.

"Oh, um, I was just mentioning someone…" Over the last eighteen years, Gabriella had developed a knack for lying on the spot to her parents, or perhaps some sort of adult, in order to get out of things. Guilty, but true. And now, of all times, she _couldn't_ think of a lie. Maybe because it killed her to be dishonest to Troy.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked, and she grinned thankfully as they pulled up along the house. "Why don't we go out to lunch tomorrow? I'll take you anywhere you want."

Perhaps it wasn't a real date, but at that moment Gabriella just wanted to be loved, or at least be around someone she loved. With a nod, she said, "I'd like that."

"I'll pick you up at one," he replied. "Choose a spot and we'll go." Troy winked at her, a wink she hadn't seen for many months, and it felt like three hearts fluttered again inside her. "Good night, Brie." Brie.

"Good night, Troy," she called back, and he drove away, honking the horn one last time. Gabriella felt her mind swell with wonder when she got inside. He had called her Brie! That name she longed to affectionately hear from someone, and she had gotten the best. "Brie," she said breathlessly.

That was when she noticed her parents sitting in the living room, both staring at her with angry glares. "Oh," she said quietly. "Hi Mom, hi Dad."

"Don't hi Mom Dad us," Theresa snapped. "Gabriella, it's seven-thirty. Where have you been?" It was true; Gabriella had quite forgotten to call her parents and explain she would be with Troy that afternoon. Christian looked slightly worried rather than mad at his daughter, and she apologized.

"I'm really sorry," Gabriella explained. "I don't know what happened, I ended up going over to Troy Bolton's house—"

Eyes fixed with fury, Theresa gasped. "Gabriella, it's one thing to be impregnated by a boy you don't know at the age of eighteen, but it's another thing to then go to another boy's house without even telling us!"

"I don't see what the big deal is!" Gabriella shouted back. "You guys never even care about me when I _am_ around so I thought I'd go somewhere else for a change, with people who are actually nice!" She stormed off, up the stairs and towards her room. She was about to slam the door but a hand stopped it.

"Please, Gabriella," her father said softly. "Honey, just let your mother cool off. She's had a rough day and this just put more worry on her."

She narrowed her eyes. "Well, I apologize for being an inconvenience." With that, she closed her bedroom door and broke down on the edge of her bed. Once the tears subsided, she reached for her phone and dialed Troy's number.

"Gabriella?" he answered, confused. "Are you okay?"

"If you were the father," she began, "would you love the twins?"

He was speechless for a moment. "O-of course I would," he said; a part of him was being truthful. "I'd love them with everything I had."

"And if one of them was a girl, and she got pregnant at eighteen after we raised her all these years, would you be supportive or unhelpful?"

Now Troy knew why she was calling. "Gabriella," he said, "I'd be as supportive as I could be. Listen, do you want me to come pick you up? We can go for a drive."

She sniffled and nodded. "I'd like that," she whispered. Troy agreed and hung up after telling her to be ready in ten minutes. Gabriella glanced at the mirror. Her face was stained with tears, and her eyes looked dull and somber. Yet, somehow, after speaking to Troy, she felt beautiful at that moment.


	7. You and Me Equals We

supergoose3- Gabriella is about nineteen weeks along, so nearly five months. The baby is due around June, a couple days after their graduation.

A/N: The song lyrics in this are Matchbox Twenty's 'How Far We've Come.' Enjoy! -love- Desireé

Chapter Seven, You and Me Equals We

The night was still and calm as Gabriella waited around for Troy's Range Rover lights to pull up on the black street. She didn't think it would be safe to climb down a tree in her current condition, so she was thinking of a way to sneak past her parents. She heard a car horn outside and the best thing seemed to keep walking: she didn't have the answer to her parents any more. "Where are you going?" Theresa barked as Gabriella threw on her coat and picked up her purse on the counter.

"Out," she replied as she opened the door and walked towards the Rover, waiting by the curb. Relief rushed through her body as she heard no objection from inside the house. Her parents didn't care, and neither did she.

_I'm waking up at the start at the end of the world, but its feeling like just every other morning before._

In the darkness, Gabriella couldn't see Troy and he couldn't see her. But as he opened the door for her, she thanked him quietly, and he smiled. They wandered along the road for maybe ten minutes until she could no longer bear the silence. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked.

Only able to hear his voice, she thought he sounded hurt. "Because I can be?" he guessed. She sighed softly and he eventually stopped the car near the park. She could see moonlight threaded between the trees, glowing in bits and pieces. Troy spoke again. "Talk to me."

Tears seemed to be very close as Gabriella explained her relationship with her parents. "They're so judgmental, especially my mother!" she said angrily. Troy could see her rage through the shadows. "I just hate them for putting me in this position. I mean, if my daughter went through something like this, I would be supportive! I would tell her it would be okay and I'd let her release her sadness into my body as I-I held her a-and listened t-to her c-cry." The flood gates opened and she suddenly was sobbing hysterically into his shirt, his arms snaking around her shoulders as he held her. Gabriella couldn't believe she was doing this. Since when had she been so emotional? But Troy didn't seem to mind as she wept into his chest, her hands clenched to his sides.

_Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it's gone._

Eventually, Gabriella's wails turned into sobs, and her sobs transformed into sniffles. Troy's arms didn't leave her body, though, as he kissed the top of her head and ran his fingers through her hair, whispering all that she wanted to hear. She was loved, and the twins would be loved, just like she was. "You are strong and beautiful and smart," he mumbled. "You will be the mother of two beautiful children, and they will look up to you with such amazement that you'll never fight or argue with them. You have gone through all of this so well, look how far you've come. How far we've come." He rocked her back and forth, her breathing slowly steadying to a yoga instructor's pace.

_The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour if that, and I started staring at the passengers who're waving goodbye. Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?_

Soon she sat up, her eyes bloodshot and her hair ruffled from his fingers. "I love you, you know that?" she asked him. "I love you with all my heart, and I always have, ever since I first met you at the snow lodge a year ago. And I love you even more because of what you are doing for me, and I love you so much that I wish we hadn't grown apart after the play, and that way I wouldn't be in this situation because I never would have slept with him in the first place and I just—"

Her words were cut short as he took her chin in his hands and kissed her. The way his mouth ravished hers was enough to make a girl faint, but she gathered all her strength and slid her hands around his torso again, feeling her body begin to finally settle against the seat. Troy ran his fingers through her hair again, and a chill slithered down her spine. As they pulled apart, she murmured softly, "I do love you, enough so you don't have to tell me you love me back."

_But I believe the world is burning to the ground, oh well, I guess we're gonna find out._

The truth was Troy did love her. He loved her like she loved him, but he couldn't tell her that at the moment, maybe not for a long time. He tried; he opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. She just took his hand and sat there, staring ahead into the black wilderness, comfortable with how they were.

_Let's see how far we've come, let's see how far we've come._

It was eight-forty. She stared ahead, and he did, too, wondering what she was thinking. He felt guilty—he should have told her he loved her back. But at the same time, he didn't want to tell her as an obligation. It was true, and he wanted another chance to tell her, some other time. However, a fearful feeling inside him worried that some other time wasn't available. "I like April," Gabriella said.

"My sister?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He readjusted the position of his arm so her wrist crossed his.

"Yes," she replied. "And the name, too. If I have a girl, I'll name her April."

"What about the other twin?" Troy turned to face her, his cheek against the headrest of his seat.

_Well I believe, it all, is coming to an end. Oh well, I guess we're gonna pretend._

She thought. "Two girls, I'll name one April. Two boys, I'll name one Dean. And for a girl and a boy, I'm not sure. You choose the other names."

This shocked him a little bit. "Gabriella," he began. But she turned to look at him, too, and he saw the pleading look in her eyes. She wanted someone to do this with her. "All right. I always liked, for a girl, the name Gwen. So two girls, April and Gwen. And for a boy, I always liked my dad's name, Jack. So Dean and Jack. And for a boy and a girl… Well, we can mix them. April and Jack or Gwen and Dean." Gabriella smiled.

"I like April and Jack," she replied. She thought about how he said 'we' and what the kids would look like. A Latina mother, an African American father. She imagined a girl with dark hair and light skin, her mother's brown eyes. She imagined a boy with curly brown hair and a goofy grin. It pained Gabriella to think Chad would have nothing to do with his children. He didn't even know there would be two.

_Let's see how far we've come, let's see how far we've come._

It was nine o'clock. Gabriella thought about the future April Montez, or Jack Montez, or Gwen Montez, or Dean Montez. She thought about them again, but with a different last name: Bolton.

Troy turned his keys in the ignition and pulled back onto the road. "Let's go get something to eat, I think we're both exhausted." After another fifteen minutes of driving, he finally found Gabriella's euphoria: In-N-Out. "You sure?"

"I think all three of us are," she replied with a grin. He opened her door and she got out, taking his hand instinctively as they walked inside. The fast food restaurant was still busy, packed with people and buzzing with conversation. A guy in a the typical white uniform took their order—two #2s, one with extra onions. "And a Coke for me," Gabriella added.

Paying with a twenty, Troy smiled at the girl beside him. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to tell her he loved her.

_Let's see how far we've come, let's see how far we've come._


	8. Lies Are Funny Things

A/N: Wow, thank you very much for all the reviews, guys! Keep them coming—this should be the last chapter over the next few days, unfortunately this week will be very slow. Lots of school stuff going on. Enjoy! -love- Desireé P.S. This is my fourth update of the day! Yay! I'm proud.

Chapter Eight, Lies Are Funny Things

After the late night burgers at In-N-Out, Troy made a promise to himself. The next four months would be the best in Gabriella's life, and he would see to it that she was comfortable as much as possible. He wanted her to keep loving him, and he wanted to find a way to tell her he loved her, too. It was his hope to make sure she didn't end up a homeless teen mother, abandoned and broken. He wanted her to fulfill all the potential with which she had been graced. He wanted the best for her.

It was Sunday evening, and Troy and April were shuffling around the kitchen, making whatever dish Gabriella desired at that moment. Currently, Troy was boiling two artichokes, and April was concocting a mixture of mayonnaise and melted butter as a dipping sauce. Gabriella so far had snacked on Trader Joe's cheese puffs, blackberries and raspberries, a frozen chocolate-covered banana, three energy bars, and six cups of strawberry Jell-O. "So _this_ is when girls actually eat," Troy mumbled as he turned the stove fire off. "Pregnancies."

"I beg your pardon, not all girls starve themselves," April giggled. She had her hair in two pigtails and wore big, gaudy brass hoops, purchased at some flea market in L.A. "And this is nothing. I had a friend who got pregnant last year, and she ate apple slices dipped in tomato sauce and avocado cubes peppered with all sorts of spices." She handed her brother the sauce bowl and he carried the steamed artichoke to Gabriella, who was watching _The Notebook_ on HBO with Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.

"They so deserve each other, what they hell is wrong with the writers?" she said, sinking her teeth into the meaty flesh of an artichoke leaf. Smiling at its taste, Gabriella turned to smile at Troy. "Thank you, so much." Around her lay half a dozen empty plastic cups (Jell-O), two torn fruit containers, and several wrappers. "I'm such a pig," she sighed, looking down at the dipping sauce.

"No, you're not," April said, coming to sit beside her. "If anyone's a pig, it's the girls who don't enjoy life and food, a blessing of the earth. Hell, if there's a burger in front of me, I'm gonna eat it, damn it." She grinned and took an artichoke leaf for herself, dunking it in the buttery mayo.

They all sat, laughing and talking, for the rest of the evening, and Gabriella felt her whole body shake with happiness. Eventually, she was too stuffed to crave another unorthodox dish, but April headed into the kitchen again. She came back carrying a large jug filled with a dark brown liquid, resembling tea. "What is that?" Gabriella asked.

"Arizona Iced Tea," April explained, "with lemon. Try it. You'll get hooked."

Hesitation flickered over Gabriella's face. "I'm not sure—I think I'll explode when if I consume anything else," she said with a hiccup.

"Just try it. It's a surefire way to completely rid yourself of all thoughts of alcohol or any other liquor," April replied. Troy snickered.

"I'm underage, I can't drink anyway," Gabriella pointed out, coughing slightly.

"So am I, but did that stop me from taking out my parents' Porsche and totally shoving it into a tree? _No_. Drinking and driving is so not cool, by the way." April thrust the drink in Gabriella's lap and unscrewed the cap. "Taste it."

Obeying orders, Gabriella lifted the rim to her lips and felt her taste buds go wild. Her hands were somewhat weak, though, and soon the tea began dripping from the corners of her mouth. Troy reached out to take the jug from her hands and brush away the liquid from her chin. "Thanks," she said with a grin. "Shit, that is good." April cheered and made a victory bow. This small gesture, however insignificant, made Troy slightly regret not talking to his sister more often when she was away in boarding school.

The way Gabriella felt herself smile that night, the feeling of love that flowed inside her as she sat beside Troy, the utter joy that she experienced just being around two positive people, everything made the difference. While Troy drove her home again, she couldn't help but smile in the darkness. In front of her house, she reached over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I love you," she whispered before slipping out of the car and closing the door quietly.

As he drove off again, he honked his horn, hoping it would make up for his absent "I love you, too."

_The following day, school feels somewhat different for Troy._

The following Monday, a furor of hearsay was raging through East High. People glanced at him as he passed, looking sympathetic or disappointed. Troy shot them all frustrated glances and they scurried away, too cowardly to face the basketball team captain. He didn't blame them; you shouldn't cross paths with someone like him when he was angry.

He found Gabriella standing at her locker, fumbling with her textbooks. She added her heavy history hardback to her pile, and nearly collapsed with all the weight in her arms. "Whoa," Troy said, hurrying to catch the falling books. "Brie, don't kill yourself now." He watched her, expecting her to laugh or at least smile, but the dismal look on her face didn't waver. "Are you all right?"

She swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, thanks, I'm fine," she sighed, filling her backpack with necessary supplies. "Um, I'll talk to you later, okay?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay… Are you sure you're fine?" She nodded and closed her locker, dashing off in the opposite direction. That was weird, he thought to himself. Making his way to homeroom, he looked for her in the back of the class. She sat, her face in her hands, quietly shaking to herself.

As Troy made his way towards her, he was intervened by a certain Sharpay and her band of Sharpettes. "God, Troy, I'm so sorry," she said, putting her hand dramatically to her heart. The Sharpettes sighed and did the same, closing their eyes as if taking a moment of silence.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, genuinely concerned. He didn't have a real interest in talking to Sharpay at the moment.

"You didn't hear?" Sharpay's voice dropped to a low, seductive murmur. "It's all over school. I would think either one of them would tell you—"

"Just get to the point," he interrupted impatiently. Count on a drama queen to beat around the bush.

Rolling her eyes, Sharpay folded her arms before a smirk crept across her face. "The father of Gabriella's baby is _Chad Danforth_," she said in a low hiss. Suddenly, Troy's insides were steaming, his skin was crawling, and his mind was whirring like clockwork. Chad was the father? Impossible. He would have told him. But then—their confrontation in the locker room made sense now. Sharpay bit her lower lip and patted his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Troy."

"Get away from me," he snapped, pushing past her. He was marching in Gabriella's direction, but the bell rang and their teacher gruffly demanded order and silence. Troy had no choice but to take a seat, glaring at the blackboard ahead. His best friend and the love of his life had both lied to him. Funny how people could do such things to one another. "So funny," he muttered.


	9. A Broken Promise, A Lost Love

A/N: Yay! I didn't have much homework tonight so I managed to get on. -jazz hands- Thanks for all the reviews, guys! I'm still amazed at how many I've gotten. Hope you enjoy this… interesting chapter. -love- Desireé P.S. Beware, there's some more curse words in this chapters than others, in case any are uncomfortable with swearing. :O

mars.x- Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard at your review. Zeke baking me cookies? I'm there. :)

Chapter Nine, A Broken Promise, A Lost Love

Anger was like a poison, completely overriding all rational thoughts and sensibility. Troy clenched his fists in homeroom, his nails digging into his palms as he furiously watched the teacher monotonously carry on about the assembly next week. Occasionally, he could hear Sharpay giggling or whispering with her Sharpettes, whose default responses were 'You're so right' or 'God, I hate (insert name here) too.' Troy felt like turning around and giving them a piece of his mind, but then he would be forced to look at Gabriella. And he couldn't do that.

When the bell rang, he was startled to see a girl run like she did. The black hair was visible for only a second, and somehow she managed to elbow her way through the rush of students, disappearing into the hallway. Troy sighed, livid with how the day had started, and thought about Chad, his best friend. They made a pact in the sixth to always be honest with each other, after they each had their try at lying during a group project. Chad had so easily broken that pact, and Troy knew he would only break his promise to Gabriella, too.

He was about to head in the direction of his basketball teammate's locker when Sharpay blocked his path, Sharpettes arranged neatly behind her. "Really, Troy, I am very sorry you had to go through something like this," she said, taking his hand in hers. He wriggled out of her grasp and narrowed his eyes at her, still in disbelief how people acted in high school: immature, immature, and immature. Sharpay topped the list with this: "I mean, after all you've done for Gabi, she just _betrays_ you like this."

"Why the fuck do you enjoy seeing other peoples' misfortune, Sharpay?" he growled, stepping toward her so their faces were inches apart. The confidence in her currently nonexistent smirk had disappeared. "I remember at one point you and Gabriella were _friends_. But you just love to see other people deal with the shit in their lives because yours is a dream. Well, wake up. Not everyone has the world at their feet, because most are on their hands and knees." He stepped around her and left the drama queen and her ladies-in-waiting gawking, shaken by the royal subject's harsh words.

_During her morning break, Gabriella stays clear of Troy by loitering in the girls' bathroom._

Of course she knew this would happen. She just wasn't sure it would happen so _fast_. Perhaps he would find out some time in the future, years from now when he, by chance, bumped into her and met two African American children with their Latina mother's hair and eyes. Gabriella could feel her shoulders ache as she pressed her back against the cool tile wall, sinking to the floor. He would ask her later, cornering her in one of their classes or perhaps at lunch. Her breakfast was beginning to make its way back up her esophagus.

"Are you all right?" A blond sophomore had walked in, and she held her cell phone, probably making a call to her parents who forgot to sign her permission slip. Gabriella smiled weakly and nodded, rubbing her eyes. The blonde smiled back. "I know you're going through a shitty time, but the best luck to you. My older sister went through the same thing."

This little piece of information from a stranger was so comforting at the time. Gabriella felt her lips turn up again at this small bid of welfare. The blonde disappearing into one of the bathroom stalls, leaving the mother-to-be to herself. She stared at her hands, sitting comfortable in her lap, watching every crease move and fold as she extended her fingers, back and forth. Maybe this was what the babies inside her did. They discovered new things, like their hands, and examined and observed the incredibleness. People took a lot for granted, like being able to pick up the phone or type on the computer. One thing, above all others, had come positively out of Gabriella's pregnancy: she could look at life through another perspective, like looking through the wrong end of the telescope. It was nonsense, but then it made the logic clearer.

The blonde re-emerged after quietly talking to someone on her Motorola. As she was about to leave, Gabriella called out to her. "Yes?" the student asked, turning earnestly.

"What did you sister do after she had the baby?" Gabriella asked, slightly hesitant. She didn't want to unearth any rough patches of the past, but she couldn't resist knowing there was at least one other person in the world who came out okay, too.

"She kept it," the blonde replied. "It was a boy, named it Gabriel, after the angel in the bible. We aren't religious, but she took it as a message. Six years later, she's married." With a grin, the girl waved. "See you around, Gabriella."

The angel Gabriel seemed so distant to Gabriella at that moment. But still, she stood up, slinging her bag around her shoulder as she made her way to the next class. Maybe this was her message, too: accept the things you cannot change, change the things you can, and have the wisdom to know the difference.

_Troy doesn't seem to find the time to confront either Chad or Gabriella, until lunchtime rolls around._

The basketball team was listening patiently to their captain rant at lunch. "We're _best friends!_"Troy declared, slamming his fist down on the table. Zeke jumped and Jason banged his knee, wincing slightly as it throbbed. "We are supposed to be honest with each other! Not knock up girls, leave our friends to clean up the mess we leave behind, then deny the entire thing later. I mean, who the hell would abandon a pregnant chick in high school and not feel guilty about it?" Jason looked slightly thoughtful and Troy glared at him. "_Don't_ answer that."

The team grumbled slightly in response, aiming at their grunts to satisfy Troy. But he still blustered, back and forth, between seething bites of mashed potatoes and chicken strips. "He's lucky he's making up for a test right now, because I'd be punching him to a _pulp_ if he were around!" he barked.

A voice said behind them, "I think I aced that exam. Mrs. Manning thinks she's so tricky with her questions, but they're so _easy_."

It took every inch of Troy's will not to turn around and completely rip Chad's head off. He twisted his body so he faced his friend, before standing up. "What. The. Fuck." He was so close, his stomach had pressed against Chad's tray, spilling the gravy bowl onto his friend's shirt.

"Dude, what the hell's your problem?" Chad said indignantly. He looked down at the goopy brown stain on his jersey and grimaced. "Way to put Spray 'n' Wash to work."

"Don't give me that stupid look of annoyance," Troy snapped threateningly. "I can't believe what you freaking did to Gabriella. And you didn't even freaking own up to it! You left me to totally feel awful for leaving her in the dust last year, so I acted all fucking fatherly for her sake! I've been through more tears and emotion than the _Titanic_." Outrage seeped through his words, and Chad suddenly looked worried as he glanced over Troy's shoulder. "I swear to God, if you would have told me ten days ago I would have been hanging out with Gabriella—"

"Shut up!" Chad hissed fretfully through closed teeth.

"—Montez, helping her through all this emotional junk because she was carrying _your_ child, I would have told you—"

"Told him what?" An awfully familiar voice joined in the chorus of the cafeteria. Troy turned to see Gabriella. For once, he didn't feel his heart skip a beat when he saw her. And though he hated to admit it, all he saw was a pregnant eighteen-year-old, face streaked with tears. "Told him what?" she repeated, voice cracked.

The people nearby seemed to be watching as Troy searched for the right answer. But all he could say was, "Told him no effing way."


	10. Truth and Logic, Lies and Mayhem

A/N: Sorry guys, I was rushing to get another chapter a few nights ago night (I have limited computer time during the weekdays) and I was a little unclear about Troy's confrontation with Chad and Gabriella's arrival. So, it's been slightly altered, I hope it makes more sense! It should be explained a bit more in this chapter, too. -love- Desireé

Chapter Ten, Truth and Logic, Lies and Mayhem

The tension filling the cafeteria nearly suffocated Gabriella as she stared into Troy's eyes. She desperately searched for warmth, compassion, _something_, something that would tell her everything would be better by tomorrow. But he offered no tenderness, no empathy that could keep her from bursting into tears again. The God-knows-how-many students watching made her self-conscious as she put her hands on her hips. "Well, then," she said in a bitter tone, "I apologize deeply for being another inconvenience. That seems to be a talent of mine lately. Please, forget the last week we've spent. Carry on with your life and I'll carry on with mine, thank you very much." She turned on her heel and stomped away, rushing past the sudden buzz of whispers, resembling the cinematic hum of locusts.

She could hear someone scream her name. "Gabriella! Gabriella!" It was hard not to turn around and look for this voice, something that sounded awkwardly kind in her day filled with hurt. She kept walking, though, marching to her locker where her fingers clumsily tried to enter the combination. "Gabriella!"

"_What?_" she finally snapped, turning in the direction of the call and closing her eyes. Hopefully, when she opened them, the person would prove fictional.

But alas, it happened to be Ryan Evans. The blond boy caught up with her, panting slightly as he skidded to a stop. "Hi," he said breathlessly. She noticed him looking down at her five-month belly.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," she muttered, finally getting her locker to open. Books tumbled out, and before she could do anything, Ryan reached down to get them for her. "Thanks," she felt obligated to say.

"Listen, you know Troy doesn't mean that," he said, piling her texts together and handing them to her. "I mean, this has been a crappy day for all of us. And it's Sharpay's fault—"

The name alone poisoned Gabriella's insides. She couldn't believe she had at one point befriended the girl. "What about your bitchy sister?" she said with a sneer, halfheartedly regretting it as she saw Ryan wince.

"Well, somehow she knew about… Chad. And you. So she spread it around today." Ryan bit his lower lip and added, "I think she was jealous of you."

Ha! Gabriella had never heard something more ridiculous in her life. "Why would she be jealous of me?" she asked, searching for the excuse note that her mother had written a week earlier; it was, in Theresa's word, for emergencies only, and this was definitely an emergency. "She's not the one carrying around an extra fifteen pounds and some heavy gossip on her shoulders."

There was a small look of sympathy on Ryan's face. "You had—have, I mean. You have Troy," he whispered softly. "Sharpay doesn't have anyone but me and I… And, well, I've been getting around to socializing, too. She's a little lost."

Smiling weakly, Gabriella turned to Ryan and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for the concern, but I've got to go… Um, doctor's," she lied and averted his gaze as she walked down the hall, towards the office. She was achingly shocked to see Troy standing there, leaning over a wastebasket and making wretched sounds as his shoulders clenched, his hands clutching the bin's rim. Maybe he won't see me, she thought. That's ridiculous. Of course he'll recognize my voice. Still, she pushed forward her note to the secretary, hoping it wouldn't require any vocal effort. For once, Gabriella's wishes were granted as she quietly excused herself out to the parking lot.

At that moment, she realized Troy had given her a ride that morning. "Crap!" Gabriella muttered. This meant she would have to walk, call her mother, or stay at school, none of which sounded very fun. Looking around desolately, she began to prepare the trek back into school, making up an excuse for her return to the office ladies. That was when Taylor appeared.

"I thought you needed a ride," she offered, and keys flew into the air. Gabriella blindly caught them, startled. Taylor shrugged. "My car's the silver Saab. Just don't wreck it. I'll get Kelsi to drive me to your house later." And with that, she disappeared.

At that moment, Gabriella didn't feel alone. She felt like she had friends again, and was just completing a particularly solo mission. As she got into the Saab, she felt her hands grasp the wheel and the engine come to life, finally taking her away from the campus. The drive home was a blur, and the objects on the road barely came into focus. Somehow, though, she miraculously pulled into the Montez house's driveway, safe and sound.

Her father was home, to her surprise. He was talking on the phone, leaning against the kitchen counter. _Hi_, he mouthed. _Hi_, she mouthed back. Christian smiled at his daughter before turning away, back to his conversation. Gabriella felt herself glow slightly; since she had first found out about the pregnancy, she had built a brick wall between her parents. Even so, it seemed her father could climb high and beam at her from the top of the barricade.

_At school, Troy and Chad continue their argument in the cafeteria._

"What the hell were you thinking?" Troy shouted, practically shoving Chad into a meek looking group of ninth graders. The scuttled away as Chad regained his footing, grimacing angrily. "She's fucking eighteen! She's a stranger to you! She's not even your freaking girlfriend!"

A few feet away, Taylor cleared her throat and crossed her arms. "Ex-girlfriend," she said heatedly. Chad glanced at her crossly before turning back to Troy.

"Look, dude," he said with a frown. "I know I thoroughly screwed up; I can say that with no regret because it's the truth. I don't know what I was doing that night at Serena's party—" at this point, Serena and the cheerleaders had their attention on the fight, too "—but I know what it did to all of us. I lost a great girl, you gained another but evidently lost her again, and we're all whispering and gossiping like Gabriella has no feelings! She's a human being—"

"Don't you go freaking sentimental on her," Troy interrupted. "I swear to God, you have absolutely no right to be messing around with words about her." He clenched his fists, resisting the urge to sock Chad. Someone had begun to chant 'fight, fight, fight' and other people were joining in now. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kelsi and Martha apprehensive as they looked around, and Sharpay seemed somewhat confused, as if this wasn't what she had planned to happen. "I'm out of here," Troy finally mumbled, tearing through the thick crowd of students. A symphony of groans and the same buzz of gossip followed him as he charged through the front doors, not caring about his parents' future outrage over his first time playing hooky. This was _his_ emergency.

The office seemed like a haven as the nurse handed him the wastebasket when he told her he felt sick. "You look awful," she commented, her voice worried. "Just lean over this for a while."

As pretty much anything he had consumed in the last forty-eight hours abhorrently cascaded into the bin, he heard the door open. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see blue and white Pumas, and he could smell the Herbal Essences shampoo weaving through her black curls. When hovering over a pile of vomit, this smelled pretty good. But she didn't speak, so he didn't look up as his shoulders clenched again and the nurse clicked her tongue at his misfortune.

Eventually, the nausea passed and he stood up. The nurse handed him two sticks of gum and wrote a sick note. "Sign here, and I'll put it into your file. You need just some sleep and maybe Vitamin C. Don't have any heavy food, and try not to upset your stomach any more. You hear me?"

He nodded and signed his name sloppily on the marked line. Soon Troy found himself sitting in the driver's seat of the Range Rover, trying to think of where to go. Home sounded nice, where his bed waited, a warm comforter and maybe a soundtrack to Linkin Park. But then again, as he pushed the gum into his mouth, he thought about Gabriella. Maybe he could fix this. Maybe he could make her love him again, somehow, by healing the wounds he had cut between them. Maybe.

Somehow, Troy seemed to be able to get out of the car and walk up to the Montez home's door with his chin up and his eyes forward. He would do this. Knocking lightly, he waited. Eventually, Gabriella's father answered, carrying a box of junk. "Oh, Troy!" Christian said, smiling slightly. "Sorry, I didn't hear you knock at first. What can I do for you?"

"Um, hi, Mr. Montez," Troy said, feeling his mouth become listless. He had never really met Gabriella's father before, at least without another person around to keep the conversation going. "Well, I was just wondering if Gabriella was home. I wanted to, um, talk to her."

Christian, to Troy's relief, smiled slightly. He didn't know about the episode at school. "Oh, Gabi is actually sleeping right now. She's pretty exhausted, tells me there was some tough tests this morning," he explained.

A small twinge of guilt seeped into Troy's heart. "Thanks," he said, nodding as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "Just, tell her I stopped by, will you?"

"Of course." Christian closed the door and Troy looked back towards his Range Rover, when he remembered April would be home. When she was around, Troy found his sister to be a better comfort than his parents. Especially compared to his parents, of whom his father enforced basketball and his mother administered grades. April would push aside academics and athletics to see what her brother's problem really was: love.

The blue-haired girl was sitting on the couch at home, flipping through text messages on her phone. She glanced up when Troy entered the room, closing the door behind him. "Hey, little brother. What are you doing home so earlier?" she asked, closing her Razr and scooting over so he could sit on the other cushion of the sofa.

"I'm fucked," Troy groaned, collapsing onto his respective seat.

"Obviously," April replied, "You never swore unless you were super pissed, super miserable, or super in trouble. Which is it this time?"

"Miserable," Troy replied. "And in trouble. And pissed. All three." He rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace as he explained who the father of Gabriella's baby was, where that left him, and what he had said to the pregnant girl.

"Damn, Troy. Hurtful stuff to an emotional gal," April replied, tossing a popcorn kernel into her mouth. Troy's hope that his sister would be understanding would begin to wilt. "I mean—Gabriella's a cool girl, it's not fun to hear her going through all that crap while totally pregnant."

"Thank you, Miss-Point-Out-the-Obvious," Troy grumbled. April raised her eyebrow. "You're my big sister! You're supposed to fix this! I royally screwed up, I need you to tell me what to do and how to right my wrongs."

Smiling softly, April patted her brother's head and stood up. "All right, all right. I'm going to go talk to Gabi. I think she needs a friend right now, and since you're pretty much her only other one, I think I gotta take the reins. Drive me over there, I'll have a sit down with her. She's five months along, right?" Troy nodded as he watched his sister take an extra shopping bag and stack it with random food from their kitchen. It was, he assumed, her junk food diet, 'ready to cure any depression'

Once she finished packing, Troy swallowed, standing up and heading straight for the bathroom again. April grabbed his keys and called out to him, saying she'd be waiting in the car. "Don't go stick-thin model on me!" she called over her shoulder with a grin. It sounded like Troy muttered something in return, but she was already out the door, swinging the key ring around her index finger.

Finally, they were driving through the neighborhood, Troy going as slowly as possible. April piped up, "Were you telling the truth about what you said earlier? At school? You had a big burden of emotion on your shoulders that was Chad's mess to clean up?" She sounded slightly hurt, perhaps on behalf of Gabriella.

There was contriteness in Troy's eyes as he finally pulled up alongside the Montez home for the second time in an hour. "No," he sighed, biting his lower lip. "I didn't. I was just mad that Chad had ignored the situation—and I _know_ that doesn't make my words any better, but I at least know there's another reason for them." He waved to April as she unbuckled her seatbelt and walked up to the house. The door opened and Gabriella appeared, her stare meeting Troy's for a millisecond until he immediately turned and pulled back onto the road.

"You want to talk about it?" April asked, seeing the tears in Gabriella's eyes. The dark-haired girl nodded, her lower lip quivering, as she threw her arms around the other and let her sadness soak April's shoulder. For a moment, she imagined she was hugging Troy Bolton. For now, though, his sister would have to do.

A/N: Yay! _America's Next Top Model_ is on! -goes off to watch it- I hope you guys are enjoying Wishful! It should be a few more chapters, depending on how people like it. -love- Desireé


	11. Life's Lemons and Apples

Chapter Eleven, Life's Lemons and Apples

Desperately did Gabriella wanted someone to love her. She wanted someone to tell her that she was beautiful, that she was worthy, that she wasn't just another teenage mother. She hopelessly wished April could tell her all these things as she finally let go of the hug, wiping her face and taking the guest inside.

"You have a lovely home," the blue-haired girl said softly, setting down a big brown paper bag on the coffee table.

Rubbing her eyes, Gabriella forced a smile. "After being in it for more than twenty-four hours, you begin to want to leave," she replied, flopping onto the couch. There was a small kick inside her and she gasped. April turned, looking worried, and saw the other smile. "I felt a kick! One of them kicked!" It seemed so difficult to think in four months, she might be seeing them for the first _and_ last time. That wouldn't happen, she decided firmly.

"You'll be a great mom," April told her, as if she knew what Gabriella was thinking. She unloaded the brown bag's contents: a jar of Smuckers peanut butter and jelly mix with two spoons, a large bag of Ruffles and a jar of sour cream for dip, with a jug of the Arizona Iced Tea and two chocolate bars. "Take your pick."

"Ruffles and sour cream, please," Gabriella replied appreciatively. She wondered what she would be doing at that moment had Troy never offered her a ride to the doctor's. As the chip-and-dip combination blessed her taste buds, she felt her stomach rumble. "Right on time," she mused with a grin, chewing and swallowing. "Wow. Everything tastes so much better when you're especially hungry and especially pregnant."

A laugh danced out of April's mouth, rolling off her tongue, fresh like morning dewdrops off a leaf. "How are you feeling otherwise?" she asked. "I kind of sort of heard about the… scene in the cafeteria. I felt somewhat privileged to have an opportunity to come here." She smiled and bit into a Hershey's bar.

For some odd reason, no tears stung Gabriella's eyes as she explained to April what had happened, in almost identical words to Troy's. It felt good to release all of her emotions, translating them into coherent words. From time to time, April nodded, thoughtfully munching on a Ruffle or taking a swig of iced tea. Eventually, Gabriella ran out of opinions and she quietly concluded her spiel of sentiment. "Valentine's Day is tomorrow," the blue-haired girl commented quietly. "He got you something. I saw it, in his room. It's wrapped, with your name written on a little card." This made Gabriella feel no better and no worse, but she fought the urge to know just what the gift was.

"Yeah, well, not all's fair in love and war," Gabriella sighed. She took the first bite of her chocolate bar, savoring the explosion of taste in her mouth. "I love Troy, I really do… Or did. Whatever. I don't know. But I mean, maybe I should just do this on my own. They're not his babies to worry about, so I suppose his generosity has reached its limit."

Shrugging, April reached for her spoon and scooped up a helping of brown and purple goo, licking off the mixture with a smile. "I guess it's all your decision. I know he loves you, too. And I mean loves. Not loved. But you've got other fish to fry, too," she said. In all honesty, April couldn't think of a better match for her brother. She knew her brother could be lazy, but to put his time and effort into something like a pregnancy showed true passion for a Bolton boy. April knew Troy loved Gabriella indefinitely.

"I'm tired," Gabriella announced. She thanked her friend profusely, giving her a real hug with a smile before heading off to bed. April gathered up the food and placed it all on the kitchen counter, glancing around for the first and last time. The Montez house seemed to harbor a sadness, one the blue-haired girl didn't like. She wished for a strength to come into the home, and carry Gabriella through the next few months. Lord knew she needed it.

_The Valentine's Day package comes for Gabriella, but her connection with Troy withers afterward._

Days passed where Gabriella and Troy didn't speak to one another. It seemed everyone at East High was walking on eggshells, all aware that they had to be especially careful around both the brainiac and basketball captain. The days began to unite as weeks, and the weeks eventually turned into months. Gabriella, true to her word, carried on with her life, and Troy did the same with his.

Rumors circulated that Troy had found interest in a friendly Peyton Raleigh, and they were getting friendly. Every week April would call, checking in on the pregnant teenager, but never covered this subject, and Gabriella never asked for the truth. She didn't want to know, whether or not it was accurate. If it was true, she would burst into tears, angry he had moved on. If it was false, she would burst into tears, angry they weren't on speaking terms. April didn't mind the avoidance of this particularly uncomfortable topic.

The gift he gave to her had been left on the porch of her house, written plainly 'To Gabriella. Troy.' No xox, no love, not even a mere sincerely. That told her that was all he was: Troy. No sincerity, no hugs and kisses, and especially no love.

It lay, still wrapped, in her room, tucked away beneath her bed. She had shoved it under there the moment she got it, knowing whatever was inside wasn't worth the pain of losing him. It was time she shut Troy out of her world, because he was just another one of life's lemons. She needed an apple.

Surprisingly, that particular sweet fruit came the day she was eight months pregnant. Her stomach had swollen much in the last few weeks. She didn't waddle, thankfully, but the bump on her belly was unflattering when observed in the mirror. An eighteen-year-old didn't need to see that on herself when she had other things on her mind. One being Chad.

He appeared at her door, holding a bouquet of flowers. "Um, hi," she said, looking down at the ground, or trying at least. It seemed all she saw was a stretched t-shirt, pulled across her tight skin.

"Hi," he replied, handing her the flowers. Lilies. Her favorites. Damn him. "Listen, Gabriella, I know I should have been here for you a long time ago. Maybe I shouldn't have been there in the first place, the night of the party. But, for what it's worth, anything or nothing, I want to be here for you in your last month."

She didn't know if he knew that it happened to be her final month anniversary, but, ironic or not, Gabriella was grateful. She let him come inside, cutting the bouquet and dunking them in a vase of water. They went out to lunch, and she explained the situation: twins. He was surprised, but he immediately launched into names and gender, when and where. "I don't know the genders. I didn't want to. But I thought of names," she offered. "April and Jack." She didn't mind Mr. Bolton, and she certainly felt obligated to credit April for something, so the names felt right, despite the fact that the decision had been made by her _and_ Troy. She left this detail out when speaking to Chad.

"April and Jack," he said. "I like that." They weren't romantic, not in the least bit, but she didn't mind the way he put his hand on hers and the friendly hug he gave when it was time to go. "I am sorry," he added as she leaned in the front doorway, watching him start for his car.

"Don't worry about it," she replied, smiling softly. "You're here now. That's what matters."


	12. Such Great Heights

Bright Starlight- Ah, I'm feeling generous today. However, I still kind of need Troy for the story… :) How about you just slap him or something? Maybe give him a black eye. The rumble might even make its way into the story. -ooh-

SunshineGirl2112- Oh, I like that. "Anti-Troy" but still the same basic compassion and sincerity. April came to me one day after watching 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,' based on Kate Winslet's appearance of clothes and hair. She is probably my favorite made-up character in all my stories.

A/N: What do you guys think? More chapters, less chapters? Less would mean probably three or four after this one, more would mean seven or eight. I'm taking a poll! -love- Desireé

P.S. Hence this chapter's title, the song lyrics here are the Postal Service's 'Such Great Heights.'

Chapter Twelve, Such Great Heights

_I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images, and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned._

There seemed to be some truth in Troy's friendship with Peyton. Gabriella hated that she wasn't a blond bimbo who didn't know what the square root of 9 was. Instead, Peyton was the brilliant sunny-haired daughter of two college professors, with a trillion AP classes under her belt and a certified name at the local babysitting agency. In short, Peyton was practically _perfect_. She was friends with everyone, even Serena and her pack of cheerleaders and Sharpay and her band of drama Martians. The basketball, football, and baseball teams all drooled over her, and Principal Matsui, who was good friends with Mr. Raleigh, usually selected her for Student of the Month. Apparently, she was also the first ninth grader to win Principal for a Day. Peyton _was_ perfect.

Sometimes Taylor would offer Gabriella a smile, albeit stiff and rigid, in the hallway, and even Sharpay let her borrow a pen in science class one time. The world was beginning to accept the very pregnant girl into society again, as everyone seemed to forget the rough past behind them. Scratch that. Everyone but Troy.

_And I have to speculate, that God himself did make us into corresponding shapes like puzzle pieces from the clay._

He had his arm around Peyton's waist in the hallway, avoiding glances of his friends. Chad hadn't spoken to him since the cafeteria scene, either, hanging out with Zeke and Jason and lately, Gabriella. She appreciated his company, although she felt slightly bad she was still the reason Taylor had broken up with him. "Don't sweat it," he told her, "Things are looking up."

After school, Gabriella watched Chad at practice, playing Sudoku on the sidelines. She thought she felt Troy's intense gaze weighing down on her a few times, and whenever she looked up he seemed to busy himself, dribbling the ball or retying his shoelace. Coach Bolton walked by her a few times, saying hello at first and smiling politely whenever their stares met, although he seemed slightly anxious about being around her. Eventually, the boys hit the showers and Chad walked over to where Gabriella sat. "He kept staring at me," she murmured, biting her lower lip as she stood up. The sweat staining his uniform swelled beneath her nostrils, and for some reason the odor was comforting.

"Who cares?" Chad replied. "It's his loss he was a total ass to you and doesn't have the means to fix it." She smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek, before packing up her stuff and waving from the door. In the corner of the auditorium, Troy leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his duffle bag beside him, eyes zeroed in on her. She ignored him and made her way outside, piling into the Mini Cooper.

_True, it may seem like a stretch, but it's thoughts like this that catch my troubled head when you're away, when I am missing you to death._

On the way home, her cell phone rang. At a stoplight, she answered, seeing April's number. The girl had finally gotten a cell phone, after her parents agreed to pay for the bill until she got a job. "Hey," Gabriella said softly, "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk," April said, sounding extra cheerful. "I think I've met someone."

There was a longing inside Gabriella to 'meet someone.' That one guy that made her worry about what she was wearing, or how her hair looked. Stupid, she thought to herself. You've already met that guy, and he's long gone. "Really?" she asked, feigning enthusiasm.

"His name is Forrest," April said excitedly. "He's a barista at the Coffee Bean around the corner, and since it was a slow business day, we ended up having a conversation. I had a Mocha Mudslide and he said he always got that, too, so we had something in common already! Then I said I had to go, because I was meeting up with my mom for some shopping, and he asked for my number! I guess he's gonna call me over the next couple of days."

In spite of being happy for her friend, Gabriella couldn't help but feel jealous. She wanted to be able to just waltz into a coffee shop and meet the guy of her dreams. That actually didn't sound too bad as she found herself pulling into the Coffee Bean parking lot, pulling the keys out of the ignition and picking up her purse. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" she said into her phone, pressing 'end' and sliding out of her seat.

At the cashier, a lanky teenaged girl with spiky brown hair stood, playing her with her earring. Two baristas leaned against the counters, stirring and shaking the orders that came up on screen. One was an older woman, probably in her forties, with silvery blond hair and lots of bangles. The other was a guy, cute and tall, but probably no younger than twenty-three. And what twenty-three year old would be interested in a pregnant high schooler?

_When you are out there on the road, for several weeks of shows and when you scan the radio I hope this song will guide you home._

Ordering a Mocha Mudslide like April recommended, Gabriella waited next to the Half & Half thermos, looking at a promotional card for yoga. "Mudslide, for Gabi?" one of the baristas called out. It was the guy, and she saw his nametag: Forrest. Well, it was only reasonable.

Thanking him, she took her drink and walked back outside, thinking about whether she should call April again or wait for a later date. That was when she saw Troy and Peyton.

They were walking, hand in hand, her head on his shoulder. He was smiling, and Gabriella could see Peyton's lips moving, probably telling some story in a sophisticated vocabulary. The couple was gorgeous, so undeniably, unbearably, dreadfully gorgeous. The floodgates released again as Gabriella dropped her coffee, dashing to her car and tearing out of the parking lot. She thought she saw Troy glance in her direction, but she wasn't sure as she sped home.

_They will see us waving from such great heights, "Come down, now," they'll say. But everything looks perfect from far away, "Come down now," but we'll stay._

Her mother's car was parked in the driveway, and as she wiped away the tears, Gabriella saw Theresa sitting on the porch, reading a book. "Mom," she whispered yearningly. Scrambling up the walkway, she collapsed into her mother's arm. "Do you love me?" she asked.

"What?" Theresa was shocked at this absurd question. They didn't exactly see eye to eye on where the babies (baby, to her; she still didn't know they were twins) would go, but that didn't mean she didn't love Gabriella dearly. "Of course I love you! I've never stopped since the first day I had you in my arms. You were certainly a beautiful baby, with your father's eyes and my mouth. Why are you asking me this, Gabi?"

"Because," Gabriella sobbed, "we have been fighting for the last seven months and Troy doesn't love me anymore and April found someone and Taylor still isn't talking to me but she might get back with Chad and I have to worry about going through childbirth and it might _really_ hurt and—"

"Gabi!" Theresa stopped her with a smile. "Child, you have so much thought for such a young girl. I know we have been at odds for a while, and that's my fault. You're going through a very difficult time, I should have been—I should have been much more supportive." Rocking her daughter back and forth, the woman watched as the sun finally began to set behind the houses, setting a black across the sky like a snake's venom.

_It's ten o'clock when Gabriella can't sleep and decides to go for a drive._

The Mini Cooper seemed to take a mind of its own as she patrolled through the neighborhood, looking for a sanctuary that she secretly knew she could find with the Bolton house. It was dark as she pulled up, all except for one room, which was the living room; the glare of the TV screen flickered.

_I tried my best to leave this all on your machine, but the persistent beat it sounded thin upon listening._

Gabriella trudged up to the door, knocking quietly. She checked her watch. Ten twenty-three. It wasn't that late. The door opened, and there stood Troy in a t-shirt and boxers. She noticed a five o'clock shadow across his face.

"Oh," he said, swallowing slightly. "Hi there."

April appeared behind her brother, but as she saw Gabriella, she backed up slightly. She knew this was between her brother and the dark-haired girl.

"Have you ever loved me?" Gabriella asked shortly.

Troy's mouth hung open slightly, as if he couldn't speak. He scratched his head and gritted his teeth. "Um, I—yes." This didn't reveal the truth that he still did.

_And that, frankly will not fly. You will hear the shrillest highs and lowest lows with the windows down, when this is guiding you home._

"If we hadn't separated, what would you be doing right now?"

There was a pining in her eyes, begging for an answer.

"Um, I don't know?" Troy guessed, looking hesitant. He could hear April suck in her breath behind him.

"Do you love Peyton?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I asked if you loved Peyton."

_They will see us waving from such great heights, "Come down now," they'll say._

"Gabriella—"

"It's a simple question. Do you or do you not love Peyton Raleigh?"

He opened his mouth again to answer, closing it after a few seconds. "I can't answer," he replied tersely. Gabriella pursed her lips.

"I still love you. I know I said enough so that you don't have to love me back, but that was because I was sure you did. Now, maybe you love Peyton. Love her more than me or love her a lot and me not at all. But I want you to know I'm keeping the twins, because of you. I've come to love each of them, with everything I have, just as I have come to keep you loving you."

He looked at her, hard and long, with his eyes threatening to water. April looked close to tears in the background as well, fiddling with her jacket zipper. Troy wanted to tell Gabriella that there would always be a part of him that loved her, no matter what happened between them, and that he would hold onto memories of her forever, despite anything else. He wanted to tell her that she deserved the best, and he was far from that. He wanted to tell her she would be a great mother, and the kids would be beautiful and strong like she was. He wanted to tell her that she was his best friend, his first love, and the girl he would never stop seeing in his dreams. He tasted blood as he slowly bit down on his tongue, trying to find a way to tell her all this. But he looked at her for one last time, the tears coming freely now, as he said, "Goodbye, Gabriella."

_But everything looks perfect from far away, "Come down now," but we'll stay…_


	13. Past Present Future

A/N: Ah, I forgot to add this in the last chapter: of course this is Troyella! I wouldn't have it any other way. Some loves, though, blossom slowly and this particular one slightly wilted, though it will grow again, I promise! Give it time. -love- Desireé

P.S. Hehe, I'm sorry Troy is indeed a little upsetting. I was trying to make this story so he wasn't the screw up like he (sort of) is in Don't Come Knocking and Footprints, but that didn't really work up… But, as I had mentioned early on, redemption is rewarded to several in this story of screw-ups.

Chapter Thirteen, Past Present Future

The words 'Goodbye, Gabriella' seemed to puncture her heart. She wanted Troy to tell her he loved her, more than anything, but honesty was the best policy, and mutual love was far from true. April seemed to blend in with the background as Gabriella focused on only the guy in front of her. "Goodbye, Troy," she responded, turning on her heel and walking steadily to her car. Any moment now, she would burst into tears for the umpteenth time, but it wouldn't be in front of him. She couldn't and wouldn't show him such vulnerability.

Drama stirred in the Bolton house as April fumed, crossing her arms and squinting her eyes. Troy looked at her guiltily and swallowed again. "What do you want me to say?" he asked, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"You should ask Gabriella that question, Troy," April snapped. "I cannot believe you just waved her off like that. You're lucky she had the grace and compassion to say a farewell in return, but if I were her, I would have left a stinging slap across your face." She glowered, her bright blue eyes gloomy and gray with fury.

Indignant, Troy closed the front door and turned to face his sister. "You can't actually stand there and tell me with a straight face I could have told her I loved her, too. April, I'm with Peyton, I can't hurt her. We're graduating next week. I won't ever see Gabriella again, except maybe in ten years at our reunion where we won't care about whatever has happened to either of us."

This really set April off. "Are you freaking kidding me, Troy?" she retaliated, coming to stand close to him. "You think in ten years when you see Gabriella for the first time in a long time she won't care? Well, I suppose this is why you guys aren't on good terms anymore. Guys can be so clueless sometimes."

"What are you talking about?" he questioned, ruefully curious.

"Oh, little brother," April sighed. "Gabriella cares about you. She loves you, she said it herself. And you're her first love. You can't stop caring about your first love, regardless of what they've done." She wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder as she whispered, "Sometimes you just have to forget what's going on around you and just focus on what _you_ want. Don't worry about everyone else. We've made it this far in a sick, polluted, violent world, I think we can take care of ourselves."

_The following Monday, seniors are buzzing with excitement about graduation. Ms. Darbus is lecturing the class about aptitude._

"Choices are everything in today's society," the teacher chided. "Make sure you know what you're up against, and think before you act." Ms. Darbus, being the hag she was, subtly glanced in Gabriella's direction. "I suppose some rash decisions can have dire consequences."

Guilt and humiliation set over Gabriella as some people looked over at her as well, one of them being Kelsi, however she looked more sorrowful than snide. Ms. Darbus smirked slightly as she added, "Do the crime, serve the time, though. We all have our responsibilities, despite our capability to hold them is usually nonexistent."

Now Gabriella was getting angry. Her hand shot up, and Ms. Darbus didn't seem to have an excuse not to call on her. "Yes, Ms. Montez?" she asked icily.

"Are you saying I can't be a responsible mother?" Gabriella demanded. She tugged on a black lock of hair, raising her eyebrows in frustration. The classroom was dead silent.

"I beg your pardon, Ms. Montez, I don't recall mentioning you," Ms. Darbus said coldly.

"We aren't stupid," Gabriella retorted, "we all know you're talking about me." She crossed her arms and frowned resentfully. There was always a reason to hate a woman like Darbus.

Furrowing an eyebrow, Ms. Darbus cleared her throat. "Ms. Montez, I believe that's enough out of you for the day." Another hand shot up before Gabriella could respond. It was Taylor's. "Yes, Ms. McKessie, what is it?"

"I think we could all learn from Gabriella," Taylor said, "I mean, she's shown a lot of endurance for the crap she's gone through in the last semester."

"Such language from you is not appreciated, Ms. McKessie," Ms. Darbus said hotly. "I think you should have one last hurrah in detention, fifteen minutes after school." Another hand shot up. To Gabriella's surprise, it was Sharpay's. "Yes, Sharpay?" the teacher asked tiredly.

This time, Sharpay stood up, too. "I haven't been a friend to Gabriella this entire year, yet she's shown more wisdom than all of us. You can't blame her for what happened. I'd assume it happened to you, that's why you're still a 'mizz' after all these years." Some people snickered and Ms. Darbus' usually pale face turned a flaming red.

"Detention suits you, too, Ms. Evans!" she roared. "Half an hour!" Sharpay rolled her eyes, hands on her hips.

A third hand went up, a little meekly, but nonetheless in defense of Gabriella. It was Chad's. He didn't wait to be called upon as he stood up. "I was a royal screw up when I got Gabi into this situation, but I also learned how to mend the things I had broken. She and I have built a friendship between us, and I think only a really forgiving person can do that. Maybe the pregnancy is a consequence, but that doesn't mean it's a bad one. You need to chill out and let the girl do her thing. I mean, really. That's why you're low on the list of Well-Liked Teachers at East High."

There were more hands shooting up, and Gabriella could feel herself smiling. These were people, all rooting for her, standing up against those who were her enemies. She saw Kelsi stand up and speak out, and again Ryan and Martha and Jason and Zeke. Even Peyton said she had met several young mothers during her times babysitting, and Gabriella by far was more reliable than they were. It seemed everyone in the class had something positive to say about her, no matter the detention they received for saying it. Graduation was in three days. No one cared about their last breach of the honor code; in their eyes, it was Gabriella who mattered most. She grinned broadly as someone began a chant of 'Gabriella' and glanced behind her. There Troy sat, silent and still, gazing at her with a loveless wonder. Perhaps she would have cared a week earlier, but at that moment, she didn't mind. He was her past, and she could only think about her future.

A/N: That last line may be recognized by those who have read my threeshot 'I Will Follow You Into the Dark.' I know this chapter was pretty short, but I don't want to give away too much, depending on how many more chapters I write. Thanks for all the reviews, guys! We've reached a hundred, woohoo! -love- Desireé


	14. Never in a Million Years

RockStar x4- Sure, go ahead. :) I think he needs someone to wake him up, so a slap should be in good order.

A/N: Okay, it seems I getting mixed reviews on how many more chapters should be added. I think, for now, I'm going to play it by ear and see how the next chapter goes. -love- Desireé

Chapter Fourteen, Never in a Million Years

It was Tuesday afternoon, lunch period; all the seniors were getting last-minute fittings into their graduation outfits, and Gabriella nervously looked down at her stomach. The tailor seemed to examine her for a moment before smiling and pulling her needle through a billowing white gown. "Come back in an hour, and I'll see if it fits, okay, sweetie?" she said helpfully.

"Oh, um, yeah thanks," Gabriella replied, wringing her hands as she sidestepped so the next student could come up. Walking out of the auditorium (for some reason, the school couldn't find any other space for the fittings), she felt her stomach pinch. _Shit_. Pregnancy pains were a bitch.

"Gabriella!" She turned around to see Kelsi panting and puffing, running to catch up with her in the hallway. "Hey, I'm glad I found you. You eating anywhere special today?"

Glancing at her watch, Gabriella sat the time was twelve thirty-four. Twenty-six minutes left of lunch. "No, I doubt it. Probably just sitting around the front lawn today. Nothing big," she answered, running her fingers through her hair. She missed how Troy did that.

A smile spread across Kelsi's face. "Come sit with us today. Taylor and Martha—and _I_—miss you. I know it's been an awkward couple of months," she said earnestly, "but we really want you to come sit with us again. What do you say?"

Company _did_ sound nice. Chad was a good friend, but sometimes a girl needed gal pals. Gabriella grinned and shrugged. "Sure. It's been tough without you guys," she declared, and they walked in the direction of the cafeteria, only to be intervened by Sharpay.

The blonde looked slightly guilty as she sniffled and threw her arms around Gabriella, careful to avoid crushing her belly. "I'm so sorry!" the drama queen screeched. "I really am! I've been a bitch this whole time when I should have been there to help you and go shopping for cribs and clothes and everything but I didn't and I should have!" Tears stained Gabriella's shirt as Sharpay wailed again, causing heads to turn.

"Oh, Shar," Gabriella said tentatively, trying not to attract any more attention. "It's okay. I know you didn't have much of a choice anyway. Be in or be out." She shrugged the drama queen off gently and Sharpay beamed.

"Let's have lunch tomorrow, one last high school meal, okay?" she asked. Gabriella agreed as Kelsi hurried her on, passing happy and smiling faces that she didn't remember ever seeing before. They were actually looking at her, but not because of her swollen stomach.

The cafeteria was humming with excitement. Gabriella weaved in and out of the crowds of people, passing cliques that had never given her the time of day. This afternoon, though, the cheerleaders waved and the band geeks smiled and the skater dudes called out in a fashionable "What's up?" The acknowledgements made her blush, but Gabriella appreciated the treatment. When you emotional, you just had to be the center of attention once in a while.

In the corner, Taylor sat, waiting for her best friend to arrive. When the dark-haired girl finally appeared with Kelsi, she jumped out for a hug. "I'm sorry!" she shouted, making sure everybody heard. People smirked in their direction. "I'm sorry I wasn't a good friend to you! I wasn't even _with_ Chad during the time, so I have no right to be angry but you have _every_ right so go ahead, scream and yell and shriek and howl at me because—"

"Taylor!" Gabriella interrupted her with a grin. "I'm too tired of all this fighting to yell or howl. Can we just eat? I'm starving."

A smile growing on her face like wildfire, Taylor nodded. "Agreed."

_It's late in the evening when Gabriella is going through her memorabilia._

She had forgotten about the gift. It was nearly four months ago that she had found it, awfully wrapped on her doorstep. Now, in her arms, she noticed how soft and flexible the present was, whatever it was. Before, it had seemed sharp and painful. Things change, she supposed.

"To Gabriella. Troy." There was still no love, no xox, no sincerely. And while it killed her, Gabriella wished he had left more than just a name. Even a from would do. She just needed to know he had actually done this for her.

Originally, she hadn't wanted to open it. She never thought about pulling that satin pink bow so the ribbon collapsed, sliding to the floor. She never considered examining where the tape was, carefully pulling it back so she could save the ruby red wrapping. And never in a million years would she imagine staring at two little outfits, pink and blue foot pajamas with ducks drawn on the stomachs ready for new babies. Beneath the infant-size clothing was a picture, older and definitely worn. Gabriella could see the fingerprints in the corner, where he held it a thousand times, examining her beauty. It was a photo of the last show of 'Twinkle Towne;' they stood on stage, hands joined with the entire cast as they bowed for the last time.

Tears were crowding in her eyes, but not for that reason only. She felt her body bellow in pain again, and she clutched her stomach. "Mom!" she yelled. "Mom! Dad!" Theresa and Christian soon came running, bursting through the door to see her school things spread across the room.

"Gabi, what is it?" Theresa asked frantically, coming to kneel beside her daughter.

Looking weakly at her parents, Gabriella bit her lower lip and muffled another yelp of pain. "Mom, I think I'm going to have the babies."

A/N: Ooh. That was a short chapter, wasn't it? I should be able to update again today, but I won't promise anything! I might have homework. -love- Desireé


	15. The Sound of Our Children

Chapter Fifteen, The Sound of Our Children

Eyes wide with shock, Theresa helped her daughter get up to her feet, wincing at the moans and groans floating from Gabriella's lips. "_Babies?_" she asked, her voice trembling. "As in, more than one child? _Two_ hearts?" Nodding, Gabriella sat on the edge of her bed and asked her father to get her cell phone. Christian promptly reached for the mobile and handed it anxiously to the girl as her mother chewed on her fingernails.

The screen was bright and hurt Gabriella's eyes as she scrolled through her contacts. Chad, Chad, Chad. Chad! She pressed 'send' and begged for him to pick up as it rang. One ring, two rings, three rings… She was about to terminate the call when he finally answered with a wheeze, "Hello?" Basketballs bounced in the background, and she remembered he would still be at practice.

"Chad, it's Gabriella," she replied, and screamed out in discomfort for a minute. He sounded extremely panicked.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked hastily. "Are you stuck somewhere? Are the babies okay? Gabriella, what's wrong?"

"I'm okay," she reassured him, groaning slightly. "But I think it's time. They're coming." She inhaled slowly and tried it again, but a sharp jab into her back made her yell out again. Now she was crying. "I need you here. Can you come? Can you come to the hospital with us?"

Orders were being shouted, probably by Coach Bolton. Chad mumbled something for a minute before returning to the phone call. "Yeah, I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Just—just breathe, okay? I promise I'll get there." He hung up and fresh tears stung Gabriella's eyes. While she loved her parents, she wanted the company of other people who loved her. In a way, Chad did, but as a friend. She needed Troy to love her.

"Honey, when is he going to get here?" Christian asked.

"Fifteen minutes, he says," Gabriella replied, wiping her face and gritting her teeth in more agony. Her stomach felt like it was being hit with a hammer, over and over. Theresa wrapped her arms around her daughter and shushed her sobs quietly, rocking her back and forth again.

"Gabi, I didn't know they were twins," she said softly, almost hurt. It had just occurred to her that maybe her daughter wasn't as comfortable with her parents as they were with her.

"I didn't want to tell you," the girl wept. "You'd just get mad again." Theresa clucked her tongue and shushed her again, wishing she knew what to say.

There was a soft, unspoken bond that laced between the father, the mother, and the daughter that afternoon. It taught Gabriella more than anything else ever had, and she was grateful for it. If that message hadn't come to the Montez family, she may have never been able to look at her children for more than an exhausted moment in the delivery room.

_After Chad arrives, the family Explorer drives off to the hospital._

"Thank you for coming," Gabriella whispered thankfully as she rested in Chad's arms. She sat in the middle seat, resting her head on his bicep. His chin pressed against her neck as he whispered comfort to her, trying to soothe the irregular stabs of pain.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied in a voice just as low. Theresa glanced in the rear view mirror and smiled. She was happy her daughter was in such good care.

The hospital was pretty quiet, lazy in its late evening hours. A young woman sat at a desk, going through some papers as she scribbled notes on a Post-It. "Excuse me," Theresa interjected tiredly, "my daughter is going into labor, we need to receive medical care right away."

The woman looked over at Gabriella and nodded. "I'll have a doctor get you a wheelchair, the delivery room should be somewhere around the hall, whatever's free." The Montez family (plus Chad) turned toward the waiting room and Gabriella felt her head swirl. She was getting dizzy, and nearly fainted before Chad caught her in his arms.

"Whoa," he said, and Gabriella blinked, as if realizing what had just happened. "Come on, now. We can't have the mother passing out right before birth." He offered a smile and she returned to favor with a weak grin. "Now, let's find that damn doctor and the wheelchair." On cue, a broad man in a white uniform came walking down the hallway, trundling a wheelchair in their direction.

"Hello there," he said in a broad voice, "I'm Dr. Leighton. I understand a Miss Gabriella is going into labor—with twins?" Holding up a finger, Gabriella nodded and let out another moan of pain as Chad helped her into the wheelchair. A nurse appeared by Dr. Leighton and threw Chad some mint green scrubs.

"What? Oh, um, I'm—" He stopped and looked down at Gabriella. This would be her call. "Should I come in with you or not?"

There was a panic in his voice, one she didn't like at the moment. But she needed him to be there, not her parents or just some band of doctors. She wanted Chad to be there for her. "Can you?" she pleaded. "I-I need you t-to come." She felt hot tears burn her cheeks and Chad wiped them away as he nodded.

"Of course," he said, and he disappeared down the hallway, looking for a bathroom to change.

Dr. Leighton steered the wheelchair away from the waiting room and Gabriella blew kisses to her parents, yelling that she loved them. "What about Chad?" she groaned. "He won't be able to find us!"

The nurse who had given Chad his scrubs nodded and patted Gabriella's shoulders. "He'll know, honey, I promise," she said. Gabriella closed her eyes and took another breath, bracing herself. Before she knew it, she was sitting, depressed in a hospital gown, her legs bent. Chad sat beside her, looking slightly embarrassed as a doctor examined her. "Well, isn't this just flattering," she muttered softly. He laughed and she felt happy for a moment.

"You're doing good," he assured her. His phone rang and he answered, "Hello? Oh. Yeah, okay." Lowering his cell, Chad glanced at Gabriella. "It's Taylor and Kelsi. They called wondering where you were, since you're not home, and they figured out I might be with you and they want to know if you can talk."

Nodding, she took the phone from his hands and answered weakly, "Hello?"

"We love you!" two female voices cried softly. Taylor took over. "Gabriella, you're such a strong girl I know you can do it, so you don't need any advice from us but know that we love you!" It was Kelsi's turn. "You're going to do great! Everyone's rooting for you, Jason and Ryan and Sharpay and Zeke and Martha." She was careful not to mention Troy's name, unsure if that would upset Gabriella. "Stay strong, we're thinking of you!" They said goodbye and Gabriella smiled, handing the phone back to Chad as she yelped again.

More and more doctors and nurses had accumulated, gathered in the room, some moving in and some moving out. Now pain was shocking every nerve in Gabriella's body. She screamed and grabbed Chad's hand, squeezing his palm so hard he moaned slightly, trying to stifle the sound in support of her. "Make the pain stop!" Gabriella shouted through her tears. "Please, give me some anesthetics or something!" She screamed again, sending a chill down Chad's spine as she squeezed his hand again.

A nurse appeared beside the bed with a shot in her hand, the needle poised in the air. She pressed it into Gabriella's skin, soothing the ache that had tortured her insides. Her sobs reduced to quiet cries, and she asked, "When are the babies gonna come?"

Dr. Leighton smiled. "Everything's going well, they should be here soon." This wasn't enough. Gabriella needed to know her children were safe, healthy, and would come quickly without pain, though that last one was unreasonable, and she knew it.

Another bolt of pain shot through her body, ringing in her head as she shrieked. "I. Want. Tro—" Another shriek. Chad raised his eyebrows. Had she tried to say Troy?

"What is it? What do you want? Just say the word and I'll get it," he said, beginning to stand up. She shook her head and he sat down again.

"No," she managed to say. "Please stay, Chad. I need you to stay here." Gabriella was looking at him with glossy eyes, tears masking the usual cheerful color of chocolate brown. He nodded, squeezing her hand again and kissing her cheek sweetly. She smiled.

Another two hours passed, and eventually her body was numb. She could feel the pain, but it was a steady, dull pain that she had been accustomed to for a few minutes. Chad was on the phone beside her, talking to his parents. "Yes, I know. No, she's fine. I'm fine. I know. Dad, I said yes. I don't know how long we'll be here. I'll call you later. Please, don't worry about us. We're fine." He hung up and looked over at Gabriella with a sympathetic smile.

"What time is it?" she asked, drowsily tilting her head back against the pillows.

"Summertime!" he told her. (A/N: Kidding! I couldn't resist after polopopiinprepxx mentioned this.)

"Only eight-thirty," he replied, checking his watch. "You okay?"

She thought about it. "Yeah, I guess I'm okay. I just wish these freaking children of ours would hurry up already." He grinned and she accomplished a chuckle.

"I liked the sound of that," he said.

She glanced at him. "What?"

"Children of ours," he told her. "Our children. Whatever. It has a nice ring to it." They were quiet, except for the murmuring of the doctors and the sounds from the hallway. Chad spoke again. "Are you going to keep them?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I am." That was her answer, and he took it, questioning her no further.

An unnatural feeling of torment hit her lower abdomen like a bullet, and another shriek flew from her mouth. Chad jerked upright, looking into her eyes for a notion of reassurance. But all he could see was complete agony. "Okay, okay," Dr. Leighton said, coming to stand at the end of the bed. "Your cervix is the appropriate ten inches. Gabriella, your babies should be here in the next thirty minutes. Are you ready?"

She didn't answer, only able to mumble something incoherent. Chad bit his lower lip, seeing the beads of sweat clinging to her temples. He leaned forward and inhaled, exhaling so a cool breath blew over her face. She smiled weakly and their gazes met. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for coming here, thank you for being with me, thank you for not giving up. I know a lot of guys who would."

He wondered if she was talking about Troy. Even so, Chad patted her hand and smiled. "You deserve the best," he said. "Now, we'll get through the next thirty minutes and then we can welcome our children into this world."

They both knew this wouldn't result in marriage, or even slight romance. But Gabriella liked calling the babies 'their children,' and Chad did, too. It gave them both a sense of maturity and parenthood, two things they desperately needed right now.


	16. When Time Stood Still

vona1212- Yep, it is Troyella. I just have some highlights of a friendship between Gabriella and Chad. :) All in good time.

polopopiinprepxx- I couldn't stop laughing after I read your review! Hehe, so I slightly edited the fifteenth chapter.

Chapter Sixteen, When Time Stood Still

There was supposed to be five critical choices in your life that affected anything and everything around you, the whole cause and affect shebang. Gabriella wondered as she clutched Chad's hand and the side of the bed how this decision would affect her life: whether or not to admit she needed Troy there. Her bangs stuck to her forehead, matted down with sweat. Her curly hair had lessened to a listless straight style, and her eyes were clouded with fear. This was it: she was having these babies.

Her head was rushing with thoughts, and she thought at that moment a girl shouldn't be thinking so much when she going through something like childbirth. She cried out in frustration before turning to Chad. "Call Troy," she commanded. He bit down on the inside of his cheek and she begged him. "I know, it'll be awkward. But I need him here. I need both of you. _Please_ call him."

At that point, it was nine-thirty. Chad pressed his luck and called the very little-used number of his best friend (or former best friend, he wasn't sure). Two rings, and Troy picked up. "Hello?" he asked, sounding slightly impatient as if he had no interest in talking to Chad.

"Listen," Chad snapped in reply. He stepped outside of the room, wincing at Gabriella's blood-curdling scream. "I don't have the time or energy to deal with your shitty attitude. Gabi's in labor right now, and—she wants you to come here."

Troy's voice softened. "Oh. Well, yeah, I'll come. Tell her I'll be there in a couple minutes." He hung up and Chad walked back into the room as Gabriella gripped the silver railings on either side of her bed, angrily looking at the doctor standing before her.

"He's coming," Chad whispered soothingly, and she took his hand again. "You can do this, I know you can." She noticed how much he sounded like Troy had at the clinic those many months ago. He had told her he knew she could do this.

Ten minutes passed, and Chad anxiously looked at the door, as if willing Troy to walk through, all decked out in his own ensemble of mint green scrubs. But the room's capacity didn't increase, and it seemed Gabriella was getting worried as she shouted in pain. Dr. Leighton told her to brace herself, the first baby was coming. "I can't do this," she moaned to Chad. "I can't go through with this."

"You can," he insisted. "Gabriella, you can." Forcing a smile, he hoped the fake confidence could be enough sangfroid for the time being.

"I fucking can't," she sobbed, squeezing his fingers so hard he thought he lost feeling in them for a moment. "I can't do this! Someone just kill me right now, it's not worth the pain—"

"Don't say that," he said sharply. She looked at him and Chad leaned close to her, close enough so she could read the honesty in his eyes perfectly. "Don't ever say that, Gabriella. It _is_ worth it, I can tell you that for a fact. Just, just breathe. Think of… Troy. Think of Troy and think of the way you'll look at the twins after this. They will love you because you are their mother, the best mother in the world, and you will love them, because they are the best children a girl could ever ask for."

She so crucially wanted to agree with him, but a jolt of agony punctured her stomach as she clutched the bedside railings again, moaning angrily. "Where's that damn nurse with the anesthesia?" she demanded. Dr. Leighton didn't answer as her body clenched, her lower abdomen pulsing as suddenly a baby's cry filled the room. There was mild applause and a nurse took the infant from the doctor's arms, carrying it to the corner. Gabriella couldn't seem to speak again as that one moment of happiness her mother had told her about came and went; time stood still for a second, and she watched the baby disappear from sight, only wanting to see the child as its sibling came. She inhaled, exhaled, inhaled, exhaled, just as Chad told her to do. Please God, she thought to herself. Get me through this.

With one glance at her flushed face, Chad looked distraught as he eyed the doctor. "She's losing color," he mumbled urgently. He stood up when no one responded, angry they were ignoring him. "Dr. Leighton, do something! Gabriella's pale, she's—"

At that moment, Troy burst through the door, wearing the appropriate mint green outfit. Another cry filled the room and Gabriella felt her eyelids grow heavy, though she desperately wanted to look at her second child, her second achievement in the world of parenthood. God damn it, those were _her_ kids, she was going to admire them. But still, she couldn't fight the exhaustion as her grip on the bed's railings loosened and she couldn't seem to hold up her body anymore. Rushing to her side, Troy shook his head over and over, grabbing her hand and leaning over her, his blue eyes filling her line of vision. "No, no, no," he repeated, "No, Gabriella, stay here. Stay with us. _Please_, Gabriella, don't go, come on, we need you. Don't go. Please, _please_ stay." All she could remember was the awful ache in his voice that made her wish she had the energy to look at him and smile.

A/N: Hm. Short chapter, again, but right now I should be doing homework yet I felt the need to write again, and came up with this. I'm proud of this cliff-ish hanger, and will most definitely try to update in the next two days. -much love- Desireé


	17. Some Secrets Left to Share

A/N: Your reviews are awesome, guys! Seriously, the positivity is so wonderful, I can't thank you enough. And now I grant ye all the long-awaited return of Troyella. This is a songfic chapter, credit goes to Colbie Caillat and her brilliance of the song 'Bubbly.' -much love- Desireé

P.S. As we all know, I have no experience in any medical field whatsoever, therefore any doctor talk in this chapter is completely made up off the top of my head and may not be valid on, say, a Discovery Health show or in my science class. Imagination creates fiction. I'm sure my life science teacher can deal. :)

polopopiinprepxx- I actually didn't notice that… The summary just came to me one day while in Phys Ed, I think. My planned pen name was a lot of things before it ever became 'Desireé Lemmon' but that's what I've always used on fanfiction. I can't remember why I came up with Desireé, but Lemmon came from Mary-Kate Olsen's character in my childhood addiction movie 'It Takes Two.' I was obsessed with that flick, and made the late fees at BlockBuster bust through the roof. Hehe. Okay, sorry, my rant is over.

LizzieRokasGermain- Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard at your review, too! Cheerio… Haha, that's hilarious.

Chapter Seventeen, Some Secrets Left to Share

_I've been awake for a while now, you've got my feelin' like a child now._

It was so incredible how peaceful she looked in her sleep. Troy had been sitting at her bedside the entire night. He checked his watch every few minutes, bewildered at how slow time was passing. It was only two oh three. His parents had called earlier, wondering if he was coming home, and he told them he needed to stay. While Sue didn't like her son being out so late, Jack understood. "Take care of her, son," was all he said, and they ended the call.

She had collapsed around ten o'clock, and they moved her to another room, private and secluded, and, luckily, without a neighboring patient. Chad sat in a chair in the corner, slumped to one side, his eyes closed in a slumber. Troy was tired, too, but he couldn't bring himself to turn away from Gabriella. He wanted to be the first thing she saw if—no, _when_—she woke up.

Her hand was lifeless in his, but he pressed his lips to her palm, graceful and yearning. She was his true love, always and forever, not Peyton. And he resented the fact that it took this long to realize it.

'_Cause every time I see your bubbly face, I get the tinglies in a silly place._

"I miss you," he told her earnestly. "I never told you that. I've been with Peyton, but she's just a placeholder for you. Something to occupy the space where you should be. I never told you that and I should have." He kissed her hand again as his eyes stung with tears. "I never told you a lot of things."

Laughing slightly, he sat up and scooted his chair closer to her bedside. The breathing tube attached to her nose gently rested on her cheeks. He wanted to rip away the tube and watch her sit up, full of zest, able to walk and talk like every day. "I never told you I stole my sister's diary in the sixth grade and showed all my friends. She never forgave me after they found out she had Days-of-the-Week underwear." He smiled sheepishly. "I never told you I dyed my hair light pink, once, for a prank at school. I never told you about the time when I was nine, Chad and I found a frog in my backyard after a rainstorm, and we took it to school and put it in Sharpay's lunch box. She screamed so loud we couldn't stop laughing. It got us in detention for a week, but it was worth it. I wish I told you about that."

_They start in my toes, and I crinkle my nose, wherever it goes I always know._

The feel of her fingers in his made him swallow the lump in his throat. "I never told you how much it bothered me when we grew apart after the play." He ran his thumb along her index finger. "I never told you how beautiful you were when we first sang at the lodge. I never told you when we did the last performance of 'Twinkle Towne,' I was actually a little disappointed." Moistening his lips with his tongue, Troy tilted his head to one side. "I never asked you if you got my Valentine's Day present. It was for the twins. It's a boy and a girl, you know. Just like you wanted. They're in a nursery, or something, somewhere around here. I haven't seen them yet, but I bet they're beautiful, like you."

Tears rolled down his face as he shuddered. "I never told you I loved you, and I know I should have," he said, quivering slightly. His voice was practically inaudible. "I never said it back to you, even though it was the most truthful thing I could have ever said. I never told you how beautiful you were when I first met you. I never told you how hurt I was to hear you were pregnant. I wanted to be the father of your children, and it hurt so much that I wouldn't get the first chance. I never told you that."

_That you make me smile, please stay for a while. Just take your time, wherever you go._

"I never told you all these things, Gabriella, and I should have. I should have spent the last four months making you the happiest girl alive, but I didn't. And I have no one to blame but myself. I never told you that, but you probably knew it already," he whispered. The list went on.

"I never told you that I cheated on a math test in the tenth grade, and was so guilty when I turned it in that I told the teacher Mrs. Foreman after school that day."

The monitor beeped. _Beep, beep._

"I never told you how much I wanted to play baseball instead of basketball when I was a kid. But my dad said basketball was better, and I haven't stepped near a diamond field since."

The monitor beeped again. _Beep, beep._

_The rain is falling on my window pane, but we are hiding in a safer place._

"I never told you I had my first kiss with a girl named Kelly Jefferson, but she wasn't nearly as good a kisser as you are." He paused. "I miss kissing you. I miss the way your lips hold against mine, and I miss the way I can still taste your breath when we pull away."

The monitor, beginning to irritate him, beeped for a third time. _Beep, beep._

"I never told you how much I wanted to kiss you that night at the New Year's countdown at the lodge. I got this weird feeling in my stomach when we looked at each other, and it killed me when we left the next day, back for Albuquerque, and I hadn't talked to you still." He traced a finger along a crease in her wrist.

There was a comforting way her chest rose and fell, in a regular pattern, that kept him from shaking any more than he already was. When their gazes met for that one second, and she finally laid back down against the bed, he had felt his body begin to tremble violently, and that was his rampage point. He screamed and shouted in the doctors' faces, yelling at them for not helping her. One nurse meekly told him she was just weary and had fainted from so much stress, but that just got him angrier. Troy had nearly killed the petite woman as he pounced on her, screaming that Gabriella was ghost white, and her forehead was a chilly cold, until Chad finally pulled his friend off of the medical employee. Dr. Leighton firmly pushed the two boys aside and explained Gabriella was fine, just 'under a lot of exhaustion.'

"You're a doctor," Troy had spat. "You should be helping her so she _isn't_ wiped out."

_Under covers staying safe and warm, you give me feelings that I adore._

Now he sat, watching her breathe steadily. Chad had fallen asleep hours before, agreeing to stay but surely too tired to remain awake. Every time Troy's head began to droop, he sat up again, opening his eyes as wide as he could. Guilt was keeping him from getting any shut-eye.

"Troy?" A voice caused him to turn around, and he saw his mother, standing weakly in the doorway. "Honey, it's three-thirty in the morning. You have to go to school tomorrow, let's get you home and into bed."

"Mom, it's too late to even think about sleeping. I'll be up in three hours, anyway." He didn't let his glance slip from Gabriella from more than a second.

Sue pursed her lips and came to kneel next to her son. "Troy, she's doing well, see the monitor?" She pointed to the obnoxious screen that beeped every few seconds.

"Chad's not leaving," Troy pointed out heatedly.

"I'm sure his folks have their reasons to let him stay here at such a ridiculous hour, but we're not the Danforths, Troy," Sue said sternly. Troy didn't budge, and she sighed. "Please, honey, I'm too tired to fight with you."

"Then go home and get back into bed," he retorted shortly, crossing his arms. Sue rolled her eyes and Troy looked up at her. "Mom, I can't leave her. You know I can't."

_They start in my toes, and I crinkle my nose, wherever it goes I always know._

The begging look in his eyes was enough for her to faint, as well. She knew Troy loved Gabriella to death, but a mother couldn't accept her son's coming-of-age until a certain time, and that was it. Sue said nothing more, only handed him a pillow and a bottle of water. "Try and rest," she whispered before kissing his cheek and exiting the room. That's when he wondered how she got past the visiting hours limitations.

Chad stirred and opened his eyes, immediately seeing Gabriella. "Oh, shit," he mumbled. "I was hoping it was just a dream."

Troy laughed, and immediately felt abashed. He hadn't laughed with Chad in a long time. Best friends shouldn't be deprived of that glee for more than a few hours. "She's doing okay," he replied, twisting the water bottle's cap and bringing the rim to his lips. The liquid refreshed his dry throat, and he smiled.

_That you make me smile, please stay for a while. Just take your time, wherever you go._

"How long have we been here?" Chad rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock.

"Five hours," Troy answered. "Nearly six."

"Oh." There was silence for another minute. "Listen, man, I'm sorry about ever getting us into this. If I wasn't such a jackass, we wouldn't be here right now. I should have stopped before I got in too deep."

"Woulda shoulda coulda," was his friend's reply. Troy offered the water and Chad downed the rest, feeling his thirst quenched.

_What am I going to say when you make me feel this way. I just… mmmm._

A new doctor appeared, holding a clipboard, like it was a mandatory prop for all medical staff at the hospital. "Good morning," he said, his voice soft and low. "I'm Dr. Vandy, I understand this patient—um, Gabriella Montez—has had twins?" Troy nodded. "Ah, well, she looks like her color is restoring. It's legal law to keep a woman who has just given birth in the hospital for two days following the delivery, so this shouldn't be a problem. Simple exhaustion, albeit heavy, I see. You boys friends of hers?"

They glanced at one another, unsure of how to explain the triangle that had gone on between them. "Um, yeah, we're her schoolmates," Chad finally explained. Troy looked tentatively at Gabriella.

"When will she wake up?" he asked, leaning over the bedside, his fingers curled around the silver raining like a child trying to get a better view of the patient.

"She should be well by this afternoon," Dr. Vandy replied, checking something on his clipboard. "Have you seen her twins yet? My nurse Anabel just showed me them, they're beautiful." When the guys shook their heads, the doctor smiled. "Ah, well, if you'd like, you can come with me and see them. They're quite healthy, actually." Troy jumped up and Chad quietly followed, slinking down the hallway trying to make as little noise as possible while Troy asked question after question.

_They start in my toes, and I crinkle my nose, wherever it goes I always know._

"So they're a boy and a girl, right?"

"Yes," Dr. Vandy replied, turning a corner.

Troy had to walk quickly to keep up with the doctor's long strides. "Have you named them yet?"

"No, I would assume that's Gabriella's job."

"Oh, right." He looked down at his feet and wondered if she still liked the names they had chosen those several months ago. April and Jack. Jack and April. Then he wondered what their last name would be.

_That you make me smile, please stay for a while. Just take your time, wherever you go._

A big glass window was carved into the wall, and Troy pressed his palms against the glass, his eyes searching the nursery. Chad, beside him, stuck his hands in his pockets and watched for the babies, too. "The twins are in the near left corner," Dr. Vandy informed them, nodding at two individual plastic cradles with some machine hooked up to them. One baby, obviously the girl as she was dressed in pink, was sleeping, while the other was moving his hands back and forth, staring up at the ceiling.

"They're beautiful," Troy said, and he felt jealous. Those were _Chad's_ kids.

"Yeah, they are," Chad replied softly. "Just like their mom."

Troy glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, man, do you like—?"

"What? No!" Chad shook his head profusely, his hair shaking slightly. "I just meant, they both have Gabriella's hair. Black and thick. I… I still love Taylor, actually. We've been talking lately."

They nodded, understanding the silent pact of all males that 'talking' meant a green lit make-up, stocked with plenty of kissing and emotion. Chad watched the boy in the cradle rock his body to the left slightly, turning just a fraction of an inch before resuming back to the comfortable position on his back.

_I've been asleep for a while now. You tuck me in just like a child now._

"Doctor," a woman's voice said. All three men turned to see an introverted-looking brunette in a nurse's outfit, beckoning Dr. Vandy. "The Montez patient, she's awake!"

If it was possible, Troy had probably set the record for fastest man on the earth in those early hours of the morning. His feet flew down the hall, and Chad laughed, hanging back slightly. He knew it was their time now.

Gabriella lay, drowsy still, taking a self-possessed breath (the tube had been removed, thankfully) as she looked around the room. Her eyes landed on Troy, who was frozen in the doorway. "Well," she laughed tiredly, "don't just stand there. Talk to me. It's been a while."

He seemed unable to speak as he appeared at her side, his arms wrapped around her so tightly she had to pat his shoulder to finally get him to let go. When they pulled away, his eyes were glossy. "I can't believe I ever left you," he said quietly, playing with her hand again. Her fingers loosely danced in his.

'_Cause every time you hold in your arms, I'm comfortable enough to feel your warmth._

"I can't believe I got through that pain. But my mother was right. A rush of happiness flows through you afterwards, and all you want to do is love that child. Or children, for that matter. Speaking of which, where are Jack and April?"

"So you're keeping those names?" He beamed. "Wait—how'd you know they were a boy and a girl?"

"I guessed," she said, shrugging. It made him blush, wondering if she, somehow, heard him when he was confessing all his secrets to her. _I bet they're beautiful, like you._

Chad appeared, grinning as he slowly walked to the bedside, taking a spot beside his best friend. "Hey there," he said to Gabriella. "How are you feeling?"

"Maternal," she decided, and laughed again. It felt good to hear her laugh.

_It starts in my soul, and I lose all control. When you kiss my nose, the feeling shows._

Though neither of the boys had much sleep (especially not Troy) and Gabriella was still sore from the delivery, at that moment they could not have felt any better than in one another's company. Three connections: best friends, lovers, and perhaps new friends that had made a foolish mistake. But Gabriella didn't mind the mistake; she didn't even know them, but she already loved her children with everything she had.

'_Cause you make me smile baby, just take your time now, holdin' me tight._

When Chad got up to go search for a vending machine and some suitable snacks, Troy leaned into Gabriella, her fingers still laced in his. "I never told you I loved you," he whispered softly, "but I should have. It's true."

"I know," she said, and he looked surprised. "Just the fact that you never said it back was enough for me. Any other guy would have immediately made sure I thought he felt the same. But you had faith in me to know the truth, and I did." With that, their lips met.

_Wherever, wherever, wherever you go. Wherever, wherever, wherever you go._

"We're graduating tomorrow," he murmured into the kiss.

"Don't remind me," she replied, deepening the embrace as her hands slid around his neck.

_Wherever you go I always know, 'cause you make me smile, even just for a while._

A/N: _Voilá! _There you go. I had a good time writing this chapter, it makes me proud. Which reminds me, special thanks to YellyBelly for mentioning the words 'faint from exhaustion.' I knew there was a specific phrase for Gabriella's condition, I just couldn't remember. Thank you! Anyway, I'm just addicted to showing Troy's true emotions, some may already know after Footprints. ;) There should be about three more chapters, I'm not entirely sure. But no less than three, no more than five. Ah-greed? Ah-greed. -love- Desireé


	18. Keep Your Promise

xx shadowdreamer- Ah, that story was Poster Child. I admit I haven't looked at it at all the entire time I've been writing Wishful, but I feel like I've got a writing streak in me right now and Poster deserves some attention. :)

LizzieRokasGermain- What are you talking about?! I _love_ your little food analogies! This one just had me on the floor laughing so hard. I really appreciate your reviews, as I do everyone else's. And now I'll say these cereal phrases whenever I get the chance!

polopopiinprepxx- Well, in all things basic, April was/is a wild child. Rebellious, outgoing, very straightforward. She happened to get into her parents' liquor with friends around age fifteen, and well, crashed into a tree after getting into their prized Porsche. The Boltons, in a panic, ended up shipping her off to boarding school, seeing it only fitting. Who knows? Maybe I'll write a oneshot about it.

taywrites- Aw, thank you very much! I just love Even Now, so it means a lot to hear such words from you. :)

A/N: Thank you **so** much for the reviews, guys! They are _definitely_ appreciated. -love- Desireé

Chapter Eighteen, Keep Your Promise

It was around six in the morning that Chad and Troy finally went home. Both their parents agreed it would be best they went to school for their final day (tomorrow's graduation would be for seniors only) and wished Gabriella well. Though she was grateful for the acknowledgment, she couldn't help but resent the Danforths and Boltons at that moment. They were taking away her only company, and face it: hospital T.V. could only have so many good soap operas.

"Ms. Montez?" A nurse, the one she remembered as Anabel, poked her head into the room some time in the morning. She glanced at the clock and saw it was only nine-fifteen. Time would be cruel and go especially slow, of course. Nature had to have it that way. "You have a visitor."

This was news. "Really?" She sat up and grinned, imagining Troy sailing through the doorway, gallantly throwing away all truancy worries as he came to stay by her side with ideas, jokes, and feelings of love. But instead, Gabriella was pleasantly surprised by a certain blue-haired girl carrying a plastic Taco Bell bag. "April!"

A grin sneaking onto her lips, April took a seat on the chair her brother had occupied hours earlier. "I'm sorry I missed the births," she said cheerfully, "but I thought you're like some camaraderie while you recovered." She unearthed a tray of nachos topped with cheese, meat, beans, and sour cream, followed by three neatly wrapped tacos. "I've got a Crunch Wrap in here, too, if you want."

The nachos seemed to magnetize toward Gabriella as she pulled off the clear plastic lid and picked up a chip garnished with cheese. "Oh my gosh, you're my savior. I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon," she sighed happily. "I feel like I could eat an entire farm of livestock."

"I saw Troy for a moment this morning," April remarked as she sunk her teeth into the Crunch Wrap. "He told me you what you were going to name them." At this, her face lit up. "Is the girl really going to be named April?"

Nodding, Gabriella smiled. "Of course," she said, wiping away some sour cream from her the corner of her mouth. "I can only hope she'll be as great a person as you."

Face flushed, April looked at the balloons that had accumulated through the morning, mostly from people at school. "I'm sure she's going to be as smart and beautiful a person as you, too," she said with a giggle. Gabriella smiled, floored by the compliment.

Dr. Vandy reappeared with his clipboard in hand, running his finger down the paper before finally stopping and murmuring something. "Ms. Montez," he began, "Glad to see you're doing well on your first day. I don't mean to disrupt this visitation, but we've got birth certificates to go over. Have you determined a pair of names yet?"

"Yes, I have," Gabriella replied, setting down her plate of nachos on the bedside table for a moment. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and grinned. "The girl, her name will be April Theresa. And the boy will be Jack Christian." She couldn't help but feel her parents deserved _some_ credit.

"All right, I've written those down, but of the last names—what shall they be?" Dr. Vandy asked, inquisitively putting the tip of his pen to his lips and staring at her curiously. April glanced at her friend and chewed on a fingernail, waiting for a revelation.

"They'll keep my name," Gabriella decided. "In the future, if something comes up, it will change. But for now, April and Jack Montez." Dr. Vandy smiled and nodded, exiting the room with his papers tucked under his arm, leaving a very happy new mother and friend.

They were quiet an thoughtful for a moment, both individually enjoying their food peacefully in the usual mid-morning rush. Finally, April looked up. "So you think you're going to keep the babies for good?" she asked.

Despite picking their names and already owning an outfit for each twin, courtesy of Troy, Gabriella still feared this question. Her mother didn't plan on watching her daughter raise two children at the very raw age of eighteen, but the girl couldn't give up those miracles. Again, god damn it, those were _her_ kids. "I can't say for sure," she admitted sullenly, "I would like to keep them. But my parents have other ideas for me. Wishful thinking, I guess."

With such grace, beauty, and wisdom, April smiled in a way one would not expect to see on the face of a defiant, exciting, flamboyant girl who had landed herself at St. Katherine's Remedial School for Girls up in Northern California after drunk driving and totaling her parents' costly Porsche. No, the happiness that embellished her delicate cheeks and lips and eyes was expected from a Miss America contestant, or a world ambassador who had no idea how to greet a foreigner with anything but a smile, ignorant of the native language. This twinkle of April was magical, and she said with a simplicity that Gabriella could only understand from that point on, "No, I'd like to think it's thoughtful wishing."

_The girls laugh a little more, uplifting Gabriella's fatigued spirits._

April's purse rang and she reached into it, finding her cell phone singing a soft Iron & Wine tune. "Hello?" she answered with a chuckle, licking off some hot sauce from her finger and making a face. Gabriella laughed again. "Oh, hey, Troy. Yeah, she's right here. No, we're just hanging out. What do you mean is she going anywhere? Dope, she's gonna be here for another twenty-four hours. Okay, okay. Uh huh. All righty then. You do that. I'm kidding! Jeez, relax, little brother. Okay, see you then." She hung up and grinned. "That was Troy, obviously. He said the whole gang… whoever they are… want to come visit after school, which is around twelve-thirty I guess because he says it's a minimum day. I thought I'd go ahead and play secretary and say yes, but I can totally call him back and say no if you're not up to it."

An image of Troy, Chad, Taylor, Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, Zeke, Jason, and Martha all planning on a visit made Gabriella smile. She had real friends. "No, it will be nice to see them all. Your opinions of people change after you have a baby or two, I suppose," she giggled, and April smiled, offering another taco forward as they both shared a laugh together.

_A few hours later, April returns from her errands with a few extra people in tow._

Suddenly, room 2038 was filled with people, tears, balloons, flowers, and teddy bears. Troy lay next to Gabriella on her bed, squeezing tightly between the railings with a boyish grin as she playfully grimaced at him. Everyone was crowding her with questions; Sharpay began with a blunt inquiry of the pain of childbirth—to which Gabriella answered, "The happiness afterwards makes it worth it." At this, she felt a slight tug on her hand and saw Troy's fingers threaded between hers again. She smiled to herself and saw April beam out of the corner of her eye. Sisters had good radars for brotherly affection.

"I can't believe we're graduating!" Taylor shrieked. "I mean, what are we going to do after this? We're not going to all go to the same college—what if we never see each other again after this?" She sniffled and suddenly threw her arms around Chad, sobbing into his chest as he raised an eyebrow and shrugged slightly, as if to say, 'Hey, I'll take it.'

"Come on, guys," Zeke said, smiling slightly, "We've got the whole summer ahead of us! What are we doing worried about college? That's all what school is for! And now that we'll be graduating, we've got _vacation_ to enjoy." Gabriella raised her arm weakly in a hear-hear fashion, and everyone cheered. Troy leaned into her ear and whispered:

"You gonna be okay for tomorrow's ceremony?"

"Yeah. Just promise you won't laugh when I trip after Principal Matsui's calls me up."

He grinned. "I promise."


	19. The Last Hurrah

Mariale-I-Am- Hehe, this is a prime example of the fact that I have no experience in any medical field whatsoever. :)

A/N: I still haven't decided whether I shall add four or two more chapter. I think maybe three. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Hey that rhymed! Whoo. -love- Desireé

Chapter Nineteen, The Last Hurrah

It was sometime in the early Thursday morning that Chad and Troy came to pick up Gabriella from the hospital. Theresa and Laura Danforth had purchased two infant car seats the previous day, and had arranged in the back of the Range Rover (with the help of Christian and the Albuquerque fire department). After Gabriella finally finished signing every document the doctors shoved in front of her in order to properly be released from the hospital, tears welled in her eyes; Chad, like a fairytale doorman, pulled the back door's handle to reveal the babies' new thrones, and their mother's comfortable spot between. "Thank you," she said, kissing each on the cheek with her eyes stinging. "A lot."

They were first heading to the Bolton house; April had agreed to watch the twins during graduation, which would take place in a mere four hours. As soon as his sister was safely in control of the newborns, Troy, with Chad and Gabriella, headed back to East High for the last time.

"It's going to be weird."

Troy glanced in the rear view mirror to look at the girl in back. She was still in her respective seat, each of her hands moving along the curves of the car seats. The faint imprints of the babies' bodies intrigued her, and she examined every thread, every inch of fabric. It had recently come to her full attention that these were her _kids_.

"What's going to be weird?" Chad had asked this.

"Graduation," Gabriella offered. She paused for a moment, squinting at the raincoat-clad duck print on Jack's car seat. "This is the last day we'll be all together. I mean, not just our circle, but the entire senior class." It was somewhat sad to hear these words come from within her.

Smiling softly, Troy finally pulled into the school parking lot. "Then we have to make the best of it," he said as everyone climbed out. "Our last day has to be the last hurrah."

The girls' dressing room was down the hall, so Gabriella said goodbye to the boys as she skipped toward her billowy graduation gown. She had done well to maintain her weight during the pregnancy, but there was a small nag inside her that put the self consciousness into action. That's pointless, she thought. Troy loves you just the same, you don't have to worry about that. You're beautiful. She repeated this to herself and smiled just as she entered the chaotic scene of girls scrambling around in their underwear, trying to properly get their caps and gowns on without ruining hair and make up.

"Gabi!" Taylor came up beside her, already dressed in her gown. "I'm so glad you're here. Sharpay and Kelsi should be around somewhere, I lost them a while back, though." She grinned and tugged on her hair for a moment. "Oh my god, we're graduation!" she squealed, as if it had only then dawned on her. "We'll be college girls in a few months!"

College mom is more like it, Gabriella thought. But she smiled a the prospect of more education, the one craving she kept even after the births. Escape your world, enter a new one; that's what literature, whether it was only possession or your creation, did for the world. "I feel like it's been so quick to go by in the last year. I mean, first day of senior year seems like it was only last week." Taylor nodded, about to speak when Ms. Darbus entered the room. Some girls shrieked and flew to hiding spots, astonished their drama instructor dare enter their beauty sanctuary.

"Calm down," the woman snapped and some students automatically obeyed, returning to their duties with straight faces. Ms. Darbus nodded firmly and turned to Gabriella, pulling her aside as Taylor excused herself from the area.

"Yes, Ms. Darbus?" Gabriella asked impatiently. She didn't have any interest in talking to her teacher.

"Ms. Montez," the blonde began, "I'd just like to apologize. I acted inappropriately the other day and it was not my place to judge you. I heard about the twin births, and I also wanted to congratulate you. I understand it's been a tough year, but you're done very well. And, good luck with your future. I hope you find interest in some sort of math profession?"

The words like 'apologize' and 'congratulate' stunned Gabriella for a moment, and she had to clear her throat before replying. "Perhaps," she said, "or maybe some sort of journalism or writing." She smiled and suddenly found herself in a hug with Ms. Darbus.

"Good luck, Gabriella," the teacher said, breaking her usual last-name habit for a rare moment. Smiling slightly, she left, and Taylor clambered over to where Gabriella stood, amazed.

"What did she ask?" she demanded eagerly. "Did she interrogate you again? I swear we'll hunt her down and make her sorry—"

With a laugh, Gabriella shook her head. "No, no, no. It's fine. She and I just had a last minute graduation chat," she explained. Taylor quirked an eyebrow and her friend shrugged. "I guess there is more remorse in the world than I thought."

As blush was scattered and mascara was applied, Gabriella stared at herself in the mirror. That was the first time she realized she was beautiful. She didn't just have to tell herself that; it was _true_. Her long, midnight locks coiled into a sea of ringlets as Taylor ran the curling iron through her hair, and her bangs fell to just above her big, brown eyes. After all this, she was beautiful. Fancy that.

The graduation director assembled all the students in the auditorium, arranging them in the special seating area according to last name. Troy was toward the front, of course, whereas Gabriella was tossed into the middle. She waved to him when he caught her eye, and he smiled. Wow. Childbirth changed some things, but affection was not on the list. Her heart, on its own this time, still fluttered at his million dollar grin.

Principal Matsui tapped the microphone on the stage and muttered the testing 1, 2, 3 phrase for a minute. Parents and families and friends were beginning to file in, and Gabriella saw her mother and father, who waved and smiled happily at her. Their line of vision was soon blocked as Kylie Macaulay passed, carrying a stack of programs. "Here you go," she said, handing one to Gabriella. Just as she moved onto the next row, she quickly added, "You look really good, by the way. I'm sorry you went through all that shit this year." Before Gabriella could respond, Kylie was out of earshot and Taylor was practically hyperventilating.

"This is it!" she squealed, bouncing on her Prussian blue sling-backs. Gabriella looked down at her feet and saw the silver flats her mother had given her for the previous Christmas. There was no way she could bear to walk in heels at the moment, anyway. Taylor gulped and tapped on a girl's shoulder in front of them; Gabriella thought her name was Mila or Monica or something. "In a few hours, we'll have _graduated!_"

Mila/Monica, obviously uninterested, rolled her eyes and turned away, back to the boy she had been chatting up just a minute ago. Taylor frowned. "People take this so _lightly_," she scoffed, "but it's a huge deal. I mean—"

"We're graduating!" a voice mimicked her from behind, and she turned to see Chad. A grin, Gabriella saw, spread across Taylor's face as Chad drew nearer. "We know, we know. We heard it the first million times. But I guess one more time wouldn't hurt. Your voice is just too delicious."

"Don't flatter yourself," she retorted with a smile. Covering the small space between them, they were soon locked in a sensual kiss. Taylor's hands snaked around Chad's neck and he smiled against her mouth. Gabriella suddenly felt left out, and she looked around for Troy.

He was, conveniently, standing a few feet away, talking to some of the other basketball team. They shared a laugh for a moment, and said goodbye just as Gabriella appeared. "Hey—" Troy began, but she interrupted him with her lips, full and brimmed with gloss. Though surprised, he didn't seem to mind as he ruffled her hair, feeling the satiny curls in his fingers. Their was embrace was soon obstructed, however, by a thundering voice and a jab to the arms.

"PDA is frowned upon, Mr. Bolton and Ms. Montez!" bellowed Ms. Darbus. They turned sheepishly away from one another, and Gabriella could have sworn she saw their teacher grin slightly, giving a small nod at the young couple.

"I'll see you after the ceremony," Troy whispered into the dark-haired girl's ear. He sauntered toward his seat and she went in the other direction toward hers, where Taylor was smiling smugly, her arms folded.

"Someone was hungry," she said with a giggle.

"Shush!" Gabriella said, trying to hold back her laughter as Principal Matsui took the stage for real this time. As he began the ceremonial, she could feel the corners of her lips tingle with happiness.

There were a few speeches and tearful goodbyes from the teachers and well-meaning parent volunteers. Taylor was on the edge of her seat as the principal finally called up the year's valedictorian: Ms. Taylor McKessie. "I'm still getting used to him saying that!" she murmured excitedly, walking up to the stage as everyone clapped. Gabriella called out a supportive cheer for her friend and smiled.

"Friends, family, teachers, students…" Taylor looked proud to stand up there, her cap delicately balanced upon her head as everyone listened to the words that would be impressed in their minds forever more. Gabriella couldn't help but glance at Troy once or twice, or perhaps ten times, hoping he would look back. By her eleventh stare, he finally turned around, and when their eyes locked, he flashed that smile again.

"And we gather here today…" She loved him. She really did love him.

"No one is inferior or superior…" He loved her, too. He had never stopped loving her after 'Twinkle Towne' gave its final hurrah, just like they were doing now.

"I salute each and every one of my fellow…" And his eyes; that sexy was his deep indigo eyes drowned her. She could barely contain herself. Maybe she could crowd dive and the class would carry her over to him.

"And lastly, I'd like to say thank you…" The lushness of her lips made his stomach do somersaults. The way her wavy black hair perfectly fell just below her shoulders, swaying like an ocean; and the soft twist of her bangs, teasing her eyelashes. God, she was so beautiful.

Their trances held by the other's beauty were broken by Taylor's conclusion. "As Valedictorian of the East High School Class of 2008, I'd like to let these words be the lasting impact on everyone here: let us learn from the friendship, love, education, and self-possession we have come to harbor in the last four years. With our lives ahead of us, we can only move forward, and never look back on what we regret. We are the class of 2008, and darn proud of it!" People applauded and the seniors stood up, screaming and hollering (especially Chad) as Taylor grinned and waltzed down to her seat.

"Thank you, Ms. McKessie," Principal Matsui said tentatively, trying to quiet down the students as some continued to clap and whistle. "And now, for the diplomas."

The class consisted of one hundred and nine students, so the line went slowly. By Julie Carpenter, Gabriella felt her eyes begin to droop. She grimaced and looked over at Taylor, who seemed just as bored. D… At Chad's name, the basketball team whooped and yelled, earning glasses from the teachers a few feet away. E, F, G… "Oh my god, this is taking forever!" Zoë Nettles groaned from a few seats down. The audience's applause began to diminish with every name called, so it was certainly a surprise to Gabriella when she heard an intense round of clapping as Principal Matsui called her name.

"You go girl!" someone called.

"Montez is lookin' hot tonight!" This catcall, she assumed, was from Troy, though one could never tell.

"Gabi, you're the best!" shouted a group of people towards the beginning of the alphabetized class. She grinned and walked in the direction of the principal, trying so very hard to balance her arms and hold her head high at the same time. That was when it happened.

She was wearing flats. That meant there were no worries of trippage. But alas, only she could achieve the near-face plant that occurred, as she practically fell over her own feet, stumbling towards the microphone. Soon, she knew, laughter would ring in her ears, but instead, as her face burned, she heard an exclamation. "Keep lookin' up, Brie!" This, she _knew_, was Troy.

"I will," she whispered happily, accepting her certificate from Principal Matsui and making her way down the stage stairs. She could see Troy watching her, grinning widely and mouthing something that looked a lot like _I love you_.

_Ditto_, she mouthed back.


	20. Love Is in the Air

charlieh07- Wow, thank you very much. That means a lot to me, especially on days where I get sub-conscious about my writing. :) Thank you!

A/N: All right, maybe the math doesn't correctly add up according to my end note in chapter seventeen, but after _this_ chapter, there shall be two more. Wait! That does add up! Ah, good. All right, hope you enjoy this! -love- Desireé

Chapter Twenty, Love Is in the Air

The graduation was streaked with tears when the music finally started playing and Principal Matsui announced the Class of 2008. The seniors threw their caps into the air and cheers erupted throughout the auditorium. Gabriella laughed and smiled as everyone let out their first post-graduation scream. Once the crowd began to break away, people forming more of their own tiny clusters, she sped over to where Troy stood and threw her arms around him, her lips grazing his cheek subtly before she cried, "We're graduates!" He smiled, stumbling back a little bit at the force of her hug, before wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head.

"Yes we are," he replied, and she let go to stand before him, examining his face closely. Troy laughed and asked, "What?"

"I want to see if you've changed at all. High school graduation is quite affecting to your mentality and spirituality, so I want to see if your physical being has been altered whatsoever," Gabriella explained, looking him up and down. He smiled and did a 360º turn for effect. "Nope, you haven't changed a bit. Still goofy and handsome at the same time."

His lips dangerously close to hers, he whispered in response, "Why, thank you." They kissed. Gabriella heard a harrumph nearby, and she nervously pulled away a minute to see Ms. Darbus glaring at them from a few feet away. Troy rolled his eyes and said, "We've graduated, she can't tell us what to do anymore." And with that, he kissed her again.

Mr. and Mrs. Bolton soon appeared, hugging their son and congratulating the girl next to him. Sue smiled appreciatively and said quietly to Gabriella, "You've done a lot for Troy. He's really changed over the last semester, and I know it was because of you. You're not like the other girls—you can handle him well." This made color rise in Gabriella's cheeks and she looked away, avoiding Troy's fairly dreamy smirk.

"Hey!" Sharpay appeared in front of her, looking slightly out of breath. She saw the red in Gabriella's face and grinned. "We're all in love," she said with a giggle. Before her friend could ask any more questions, the drama queen added, "Taylor said Chad is having a grad party tonight. I'm sure Troy is already going. You coming?"

Although she wanted to see the babies, Gabriella knew this would be the last hurrah that Troy had mentioned earlier. The party was the finale, the one time where they could laugh and play, reminiscent of the young children they would raise in the (very near) future. "Yeah, I'm coming," she agreed. Sharpay hugged her quickly before running off in the direction of the basketball team, and Gabriella chuckled. So the drama queen liked the baker boy. There's a first time for everything, of course.

_At the Danforth home later that night…_

"Gosh, April, thank you so much for watching the twins," Gabriella said gratefully. She was practically shouting into her cell phone; in the background, some rock song she didn't recognize blared from the Danforth house's speakers, and the entire party just happened to fill the entire living room. In the corner, she struggled to express her appreciation toward April, but the blue-haired girl seemed to understand.

"Of course!" she shouted. "Now, go have fun, it's your last night as a senior!" The call ended and Gabriella turned to find Troy.

They had seen each other only a half hour earlier, when they first arrived; she had gone off to find the bathroom, while Troy went to get them drinks. Now, nearly forty minutes later, he seemed to have disappeared. She found Kelsi in the kitchen, talking to Jason. "Hey, have either of you seen Troy?" Gabriella asked. They both shook their head, apologized, and returned to the intimate conversation. Love was definitely in the air.

"Troy!" she called through the rooms. But the music drowned her voice and she had no choice but to keep looking. Eventually, she accidentally made her way outside, stumbling onto the back patio when a sloppy quarterback nearly manhandled her into a coma. The cold night's breeze felt good on her sweaty skin. "Troy!"

"Gabriella?" He appeared, flustered, carrying two cans of Coke. "There you are! God, I've been looking all over for you. I feel like the whole town's here." She smiled and took a can from him, opening it to let to delicious (but artificial) taste dance in her mouth.

"Thank you," she said after a while, her voice soft. "I mean for everything. I know it must have been hard to be the only one in school talking to the pregnant chick."

He looked slightly stunned. "Are you kidding me? I _wanted_ to talk to you," he said with a grin. "It wasn't that I sympathized you or anything, although it seemed to kind of suck to be pregnant in your senior year."

"You took the words out of my mouth," she sighed, sitting down on the brick steps that lead to the grassy area of the backyard. Troy sat beside her. "I mean, I got April and Jack out of it, and they're beautiful babies, but what if this all goes to waste? What if I end up getting into a college but I can't take care of the twins? And where does this leave Chad? I _think_ he wants to be a part of their lives. But I don't know for sure and I don't know if we're at a comfortable stage to talk about something like that." She rubbed her eyes tiredly and leaned against his shoulder. He slid his arm around her and kissed the top of her head again.

They let silence take over where their conversation would go for a few minutes, before he spoke. "Where do you see yourself, five years from now?" There was an unfamiliar thoughtfulness in his voice that intrigued her.

Sitting up so she faced him, Gabriella half-smiled. "Well, I see myself writing a lot. Whenever I can, I'm just making up a new world and person. Wherever I live, there will be little notes around the house of ideas, whether they're on Post-Its or paper napkins. I see myself raising April and Jack, and I see Chad coming to pick them up every weekend and every third Wednesday of the month. And I… see you around the house a lot, too." He was quiet and she asked, "Where do you see yourself?"

The way his indigo blue eyes (oh, God bless whoever started that dominant gene in the Bolton family) caught her brown made her insides squirm, like they used to whenever she saw him. "I see myself playing basketball a lot. Maybe a professional team, who knows? I do know whatever it is I'm doing I love to do it. I also see myself living the kind of typical L.A. lifestyle; nice house with a great view, organic diet, lots of exercise. And I see you, too, plus the twins. I see myself… Well, not _replacing_ Chad, but I'm kind of the substitute when he's not around." Troy smiled. "I see myself getting married to you, at one point. Maybe five years, maybe ten years, maybe _fifteen_ years from now. I don't care when, but I know I see myself getting married to you, Brie."

Tears were very near again as Gabriella took his hands in hers and took a breath. "I love you," she whispered softly. "I love you enough so that you don't have to say it back because I _know_ you love me."

"Well, that's a waste, because I'll say it back, anyway," he replied with a grin. She laughed and their lips met, before he mumbled, "I love you, Gabriella."

She smiled, her lips parting slightly. "I know you do."


	21. Birthday Party for Two

A/N: One more chapter to go! I'm excited. This will be the last present day chapter. Next is the epilogue. Gosh, I'm so flattered by all your reviews, they mean a lot to me! Thank you so much! -love- Desireé

Chapter Twenty-One, Birthday Party for Two

Maybe it was the way they breathed, or the way their eyelashes delicately pressed against their cheeks. Perhaps it was the curly black hair that compared with hers. There was a chance that it was even the way they looked a little bit like Chad. Whatever it was exactly, Gabriella knew one thing: she loved these twins.

There was no post-partum depression, which was another heavy relief. She prayed every night for smooth sailing, and it seems her appeals had been answered. So maybe she was eighteen with two children of her own already. Someone up there was watching over her and making sure she was cut some slack a couple times.

April had decided the babies needed a birthday party. Gabriella assured her it was alright, they didn't need one, but the blue-haired girl was stubborn. "They didn't have a baby shower or anything," she insisted. "Someone needs to arrange a celebration."

The party was at the Montez house, after the Mrs.'s firm consent. Balloons and confetti decorated the empty living room, inhabited earlier with everyone at school and at least one parent. Presents were stacked in the corner, some still wrapped. The twins would have everything they needed for the next year. "My goodness," Theresa had gasped after Zeke, the seventh person, arrived. "And more to come!"

Now Gabriella sat, alone with the babies in her arms. They were quite exhausted, after many people handling and holding them for a long afternoon. She kissed their foreheads and thought she saw a smile rise on both their faces. The doorbell rang and Christian answered it. Chad and Troy stood on the porch, both looking slightly nervous. "Hi, Mr. Montez," Troy began.

"We just wanted to stop by," Chad finished.

"See how Gabriella was doing," Troy added.

"Yeah, and the twins," Chad said quickly. Christian smiled and nodded at his daughter, letting the boys inside. They thanked him quietly and both took a seat on either side of Gabriella, who grinned as she nodded at one of the babies for Chad to take. He scooped April into his arms, his eyes twinkling with astonishment. "There's my best girl."

While his best friend admired his daughter, Troy whispered in Gabriella's ear, "You want to go somewhere later? Just to hang out. I was thinking the same spot on the hillside, the one we went to a few months ago."

She looked at him and nodded. "That sounds nice," she said gratefully. "You think your sister is up for more babysitting?"

_Later that afternoon, the boys stick around downstairs and Gabriella takes a restless Jack upstairs._

"Your baby sis isn't tired," she teased her son as she entered her room. A few weeks earlier, Christian had bought cribs for the twins. Although there was very little leg room, Gabriella liked the twins' beds to be near hers. And instead of setting the baby down in his respective cradle, she took him into her arms and laid down on her own bed as thunder began to boom. He whimpered and she shushed him softly, rocking him back and forth. "It's okay, I'm here."

Another thunderclap erupted a few seconds later, and Jack seemed frightened. But Gabriella smiled as she heard a familiar pitter-patter, and carried the baby to the window. "Look, Jack," she said softly, "your first summer storm, here just for you and April."

The thunder seemed to subside and the rain's pattern evened out, lulling the baby to sleep. She watched his breathing steady and his eyes flutter closed, eyelashes still just as delicate. "Sweet child," she whispered. "Whose mama loves him so much."

She sat, insightfully, watching the gray sky move outside. Rain sloshed against the glass, beating heavily upon the house's roof. _Pitter-patter, pitter-patter_. Whose mama loves him so much. The words rang in her ears. The babies were really here, to stay. She went through those nine months of gossip, but not in vain. These children, miracles that she could never have understood before, would grow up and look at her as their mother. Their mother who loved each of them so much.

A/N: This story kind of reminds me of Don't Come Knocking. Both have twenty-two chapters in full, and the second to last of each before the epilogue aren't very long. Another co-inky-dink.


	22. The Epilogue

A/N: I apologize this took forever. I've been caught up in my fiveshot, Friday Afternoons Aren't Meant for Detention. You guys might like it, it's Troyella with some side-couples. Anyway, here's the final bit of Wishful, thank you so much for all the support! -love- Desireé

The Epilogue

**You are cordially invited to…**

**The May 14****th**** wedding of April Laura Bolton and Peter Kevin Harper**

"April!" shouted Jack Montez from the bottom of the house's staircase. He leaned toward the third step, grasping the banister for support. "Hurry up or you'll be late for the wedding! And then you'll miss your B-O-Y-F-R-I-E-N-D boyfriend, Matt!"

"He is _not_ my boyfriend!" came the angry yell from upstairs. The bickering twins' mother smiled from afar, until Jack came to stand in front of her. Gabriella finger combed his hair for a moment before kneeling down and adjusting everything—his wrinkled sports jacket, his loose tie, his twisted belt.

The boy squirmed. "Mom," Jack complained, "Stop, I told you, I got everything under control." The woman threw her hands up in a surrender and a man appeared behind her.

Troy smiled. "Your mother is quite the perfectionist, Jack," he said, kissing Gabriella's neck quickly before the child could object. "You get used to it after a while."

"Thanks for the memo," the boy groaned as Gabriella fiddled with his tie again. "Mom! I said I've _got it!_"

"Fine, fine," the woman gave up, turning away to look through her purse and make sure she had everything; cell phone, wallet, keys, napkins, camera, Band-aids, pepper spray (in case of an emergency), and finally, crayons. The twins were already eleven years old, yet they seemed to still be 'drawn' to coloring. "April," their mother called out. "Please, honey, we're leaving now! We can't be late!"

A girl adorned in a poofy blue dress (coordinated with the other bridesmaids dresses) appeared in the kitchen, looking slightly annoyed. While her brother's hair was always straight, taking after their mother's genetics, April's hair was wild and unruly like Chad's. Smiling proudly at the girl for a moment, Gabriella turned to Troy. "Where's Cooper?"

_They sat on the hood of the Range Rover, underneath the stars at their Spot—the hillside with the curving street and bushel of trees. It was calm and beautiful, just what she liked. "Hey," he said, turning to look at her. She met his glance. "What's up? You've been quiet all night. Something on your mind?" He never failed to read her thoughts._

_"Okay, so you told me the night we got married what if we weren't meant to be together, right?" He looked slightly worried, and Gabriella smiled. "No, that's not what I meant. But that was your what if question, and now I have one." She paused, taking a breath before saying, "What if I told you I was pregnant?"_

_A smile broke out on Troy's face. "You're pregnant?" he exclaimed. "Gabriella, that's great!" He swooped her into his arms and laughed._

_"I didn't say that," she said, and he stopped. "I asked what if."_

_"Well," he began, looking out into the black sky for a moment, pondering. "I'd be happy, of course. You know I've always been jealous of Chad—he is, after all, the father of your two children."_

_The honesty in his voice made her heart tingle. "All right," she finally sighed. "I'm pregnant." His eyes lit up and he kissed her, his strong arms securing her into the night._

That had been in early May, just a month before the twins' fifth birthday. A third child came, healthy and gorgeous and identical to her parents, with Gabriella's eyes and Troy's hair. Cooper Olivia was born the next January, and grew up to be quite a verbal young six year old. "Daddy!" she hollered from her shared bedroom with April. "Daddy, I don't like what I'm wearing!"

A small sigh escaped Troy's mouth, and Gabriella smirked. "Do you want me to get her?" she asked. He shook his head and trudged up the stairs, launching into a charade of oohs and ahs that would hopefully convince Cooper her outfit was _fine_. His wife turned to the two older children and said, "We need to be there for final two-minute practice, so please, you two, get into the car and don't fight."

Flattening out the skirt of her dress, April nodded calmly. Beside her, Jack grimaced, giving his mother a you-never-credit-me-enough look. Gabriella patted his cheek and handed the keys to her son, walking upstairs to tag team her husband in persuasion of their daughter. Cooper sat on the edge of her bed, looking at the Mary Janes her grandmother had bought her. "I don't want to wear them," she moaned, clacking her heels together as Troy sighed for what seemed like the tenth time.

Gabriella took over and sat on the other side of her daughter, smoothing her hair to one side with a gentle touch. "Honey, I understand you don't like them, but your grandma Sue bought them! Don't you want her to see them at April and Peter's wedding?"

This made the young girl think for a moment, before finally agreeing. "Okay," she said, hopping off the bed. Troy wearily watched her skip downstairs, before turning to look at his wife.

"How do you do it?" he asked with a slight hint of jealousy.

"I'm a mother," she said, leaning in for a kiss. "It's my job."

_On the way to the wedding, it appears the twins have some ideas._

As Troy pulled onto the freeway, April leaned forward, her head poking between her mother and stepfather's seats. "Mom," she began, "Can I dye my hair blue, like Aunt April? Troy said I could."

"Oh, really?" Gabriella looked at a panicked husband next to her, a smirk teasing her lips. He focused on the road for a moment, before finally giving into her stare and answering:

"I told her to ask you."

April leaned forward even further. "Yeah, but I asked what you thought, and you said I could." Beside her, Cooper joined the conversation.

"Can I dye my hair blue, too?" she asked. "Or purple. What do you think, Daddy?"

Twisting her body so she faced her daughters, Gabriella smiled softly. "I think you guys should maybe the drop the subject. When you're eighteen, you know, you can do whatever you want," she said.

"Really?" Cooper tugged on her hair. "Maybe I can get rainbow when I'm eighteen. Do you guys know the color song? Ms. Johnson taught us it yesterday. It goes, 'Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple! Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple! Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple! Those are the colors of the rain-bow!' We sung it all through lunch." She hummed the tune to herself, staring out the window and watching the blurry scenes fly by.

Another question was directed at the adults sitting in front, this time from Jack. "Can we get a dog?" he asked, taking a moment to pause his Nintendo game.

"No," was the answer.

"A cat?"

"No."

"How about a hamster?"

"No."

"What about a pig?"

"_No_." Gabriella saw Troy smile out of the corner of her eye. It didn't matter if they were twenty-nine years old with a daughter and two step children, he was still a boy at heart.

Jack grumbled, "Why not?"

"You wouldn't—"

"Red, orange, yellow…"

—take care of it."

"I would!" he said indignantly. "Of course I would!"

"Jack, the only pet you ever had was three goldfish from a carnival, and they died in two days. In fact, less than that. It was barely an hour when we got home that they started floating up and down." April snickered, and Jack looked at her.

"Well, what can I do to prove to you we can have?"

"Nothing," Gabriella replied. "I've seen all that I need to, and really, Jack, there's no point in asking me anymore."

At a slight traffic jam, Troy turned around and mouthed, _We'll go to the pet store tomorrow_. Gabriella raised an eyebrow at him, and he looked back at her innocently. "What?" he asked.

"You act like I didn't see you just totally sneak that deal with Jack," she told him. He guiltily turned back to the road and shot Jack a sympathetic glance through the rear view mirror.

More questions.

"Can we have a pet rock?"

"Sure."

"If I take good care of that—"

"Green, blue purple!"

"—can we get a real pet?"

"I'm not even going to answer that."

April jumped in. "Where are we going on vacation this summer? I thought maybe Hawaii or Paris."

"_Paris?_ Cough up the money and then get back to me."

"Emma Wrigley is going in July."

"Well you, April Montez, shall be somewhere else." April slumped back in her seat, just as they arrived at the country club where the wedding was being held. Gabriella turned to face her three children: April was a bridesmaid, Cooper was the flower girl, and Jack was the ring bearer.

With a firm I-mean-it tone of voice, Gabriella pep-talked them. "You are here on your best behavior, do you understand me? I don't want any tears tonight, and, if you guys can handle it, no blood, okay? Jack, don't hit either of your sisters, April, watch where you're going, and Cooper, please stay with either your brother or your sister, all right?" The children all shook their heads solemnly as Troy watched, a smile on his face. The family got out the car, the three youngest scrambling inside, excited for the practice run.

"You know, our wedding anniversary is next month. June 30th," Troy whispered in her hear, his arm around her waist. She watched the ground on which they walked, trying very hard to balance in her heels. If anything, she would skip tripping for today.

"Yes," she replied, "Twenty-four days after the twins' birthday, I remember. Six years. Wow. We're old."

He laughed. "I guess. Compared to everyone else, we kind of are." Chad and Taylor had only gotten married two years earlier, after a steady nine year relationship of simple dating. Sharpay, who had only begun going out with Zeke in college, was just now pregnant with her first child. As for Kelsi and Jason, they were still taking things slow. Ryan was still having fun being single and free of couples' stress. Only Gabriella and Troy had a full-fledged family.

Inside, the wedding planner, Sharon, was running around to adjust last minute details. She saw the final bridesmaid (Gabriella) and the final groomsman (Troy) and nearly had a heart attack. "Thank goodness you're here!" she said with relief, rushing over to them. "I had spasm just trying to get the rest of the wedding party together."

"I'll see you in a little bit," Gabriella whispered to her husband. "Tell Peter he's one lucky guy, okay?"

"And tell my sister she's one lucky girl," Troy replied, before waving and heading off in the opposite direction. Gabriella searched the room for her children before seeing them standing around the minister, who was speaking softly to them.

"They're in good hands," the mother decided before joining the bride and her clan of girls.

_At the wedding reception, the room screams with energy and life._

"Mommy, it's loud in here!" Cooper shouted through the music. She was hopping up and down in her stockings, barefoot. At some point during the ceremony she had taken off her Mary Janes, which amused the audience and the wedding couple alike. Troy had glanced at the crowd, expecting to see his mother searing, but was thankful to as Sue was smiling, too. No family drama today.

"It'll quiet down soon, I promise. Look, here's Auntie April and her daddy now," Gabriella replied, pointing to her sister-in-law and her son's namesake. Jack smiled at his daughter as the music began and the room silenced. It was a sad but meaningful Corinne Bailey Rae tune, and Gabriella smiled over at her parents, a few tables away, as Cooper climbed onto her lap.

Once the song was over, the minister spoke into the microphone, "I'd like to welcome any fathers and daughters on the dance floor right now to join April and Jack for the next few songs." Troy walked over and picked his daughter up into his arms, and Gabriella saw Chad find April, who looked happy to be dancing with him. Christian walked over and held out his hand.

"One more dance? Before my back goes out for good?" he asked with a smile. Gabriella accepted and stood up, slowly walking out between the crowd. She swayed in her father's arms, looking over at her husband and Cooper. The girl stood on her father's shoes, hanging on his hands and smiling, watching his feet move to the rhythm. Troy looked over and grinned at his wife, mouthing something she didn't understand. He said it again: _You look beautiful with your dad_. Before she could so happily respond, Gabriella's father groaned slightly as the music changed. "Oh, honey, that's about it for me. Would you hate me for stopping?"

She shook her head and kissed his cheek. "No, Dad, of course not. Go sit down with Mom, I'll have to find Jack anyway." Her son was sitting at their table, watching the dancers around him. "What's wrong, J?"

"I don't get to dance."

"Do you _want_ to dance?"

He shrugged. "I want to be able to dance."

"Well, as soon as they let mothers and sons out on the dance floor when Peter and Mrs. Harper have their number, we'll go out, okay?"

This seemed to brighten him up a little bit. "All right. I'm going to go get something to drink." He dove through the crowd, disappearing from Gabriella's sight as finally the last song ended and the fathers and daughters dispersed. Cooper spotted her brother and ran after him, while Troy struggled to keep with her. April sauntered toward her chair as Taylor replaced her spot as Chad's dance partner; the young fifth-grader plopped down beside her mother.

"I wish I could dance with Matt." This particular boy was the son of April's Maid of Honor, Wendy, and the younger April's current crush.

"Why don't you ask him?"

Exasperation spread across April's face. "Mom," she whined, smacking Gabriella's arm. "I can't just go up to him and ask. I mean, I know you and Troy are the dream couple and all, but other less fortunate people have relationship problems."

Gabriella smiled. Whether it was Taylor, or April (Bolton), or Sharpay, someone was always telling the twins something about their mother, their father, or stepfather. A recent and somewhat notorious story explained their roles in 'Twinkle Towne' and the rivalry between the Evans siblings. This was the younger April's favorite.

"Honey, just go ask him," the mother encouraged. "What's the worst thing that could happen?"

"He could say no."

"But at least you'll know now. Instead of moping around, wishing you could dance with him, you know to save your breath for some other guy. The one guy that makes you hold your breath whenever you see him, the one that makes your heart flutter." She watched Troy swinging Cooper in his arms, and beamed. "You have to just take a chance."

Tapping the plate in front of her, April shrugged. "Yeah, but it would just be so much easier if he came up to me and asked. Wishful thinking, I guess."

Out of the corner of her eye, Gabriella saw the young boy Matt glance at them. She half-smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "No," she corrected gently, and April looked up. "Thoughtful wishing."

A/N: Oh my gosh, I rewrote that a thousand times! I hope you guys liked this story. Please, please, please review! Maybe throw in a favorite chapter or some dialogue you liked. I am so grateful for all the reviews, and I want you all to know your positive words mean a lot! Look out for the revised Poster Child, coming out in the next week, and have a beautiful day! -love- Desireé


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